One Hell of a Reaper II
by PhantomGypsy13
Summary: Being a Rogue Reaper was already hard enough, but did she really have to do it all again? Ciel has lost his memories and it is up to Sebastian and Lilliana to bring back the satisfaction of revenge, but when a new threat emerges, things get out of hand pretty fast. Plus, she fears that her feelings for that butler are becoming something more than attraction. Could it be . . . love?
1. Clawed Beyond Recognition

**_The following story is a sequel to One Hell of a Reaper _****_(in case you didn't see the II after the title). I highly encourage you to read it before reading this one._**

* * *

Lily Bastida has been a maid at the Trancy manor ever since Claude Faustus and Alois Trancy hired her. She has only been working for several weeks now, but she has made quite an impression already. She was a special maid who got everything done fast and efficiently. Despite a large household of servants, she seemed to stand out, which she never understood why. Her appearance didn't scream beautiful: long red hair, slim, but curvy frame, simple makeup, blood-red eyes, and a little red ruby necklace around her neck, but it somehow caught that butler's attention. Ever since the day they met, he couldn't keep his eyes and hands off her and she never backed down. The only thing she refused was sex, but the temptation was strong, though.

Today, she, Hannah, and the triplets served breakfast to their joyful, but admittedly irritating master, Alois Trancy. True, he was always happy, but he liked to make things harder for the servants and complain that they didn't work hard enough, even though they clearly did. Sadly, the one who has to take the most abuse from him was Hannah, who he viewed as his punching bag. She never fought back against him or showed him any discipline. Instead, she had a permanent sad expression on her face, as if she was guilty for something. How unfortunate. "Hannah, don't you think fried eggs are rather pitiful? Shells broken open nakedly exposed for the entire world to see. They'll never grow into eyes, or organs, or wings: all of their possibilities are wiped out by me," Alois said as he ripped the yolk open, spilling everything out onto the rest of the egg. He was impatient that he didn't receive an answer and purposely spilled his wine, making a huge mess. Hannah noticed this and came rushing to clean it. However, he started to scream, which alarmed her, but Alois began to laugh. "You're truly pitiful," he said as he stabbed her eye with his fingers. "Claude's told you, hasn't he? A maid must never look directly at her master. You'll have to forgive me. If I don't punish you, Claude will be outraged." Blood started pouring out of her eye, but she didn't release a single scream. It was clearly painful, but she kept quiet. Once he pulled his fingers out of her eye, she quickly covered it with her hand, trying to prevent any blood from spilling onto the floor.

"Hannah, are you all right?" Lily asked as she rushed to her, trying to help her out. However, as Hannah looked at her with her one good eye, she noticed something was off. Was she seeing things or were her eyes really that color?

Soon, Claude came into the room and saw the scene laid out before him. "Clean this up," he ordered Lily and the triplets and soon, they hurriedly cleaned up the mess. Lily took Hannah to another room to clean her up and put a bandage over her destroyed eye while the triplets cleaned up the blood and wine. Claude took out a handkerchief and started to clean the blood off Alois' fingers. That damned brat, Lily thought, why did he have to do such a thing to her? She never thought that a kid would be so fucking evil. Hannah did nothing wrong, but she had to receive a harsh "punishment". It made her stop focusing for a bit, but she pulled herself together right before Claude came in. If he saw her eyes, she would have been exposed.

* * *

"Arnold Trancy will be dining with us today," Claude said to his master in his study.

"He just wants money," Alois said with his head down on the desk, tired from a long day of doing nothing.

"This time, a priest will be joining them. It seems he has doubts about your time 'held hostage by the fairies'," Lily said.

"What should I do, Claude and Lily?! I changed all of that old loon's decorating; the nasty curtains, the rugs with the odd patterns, the knick-knacks," Alois said with genuine worry.

"Not to worry. We'll take care of everything at once."

"Really?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Claude and Lily said in unison. The two then left their master and walked to the dining hall, where they started making changes to the entire estate. Claude managed to change the wall and floor patterns in record time while Lily placed silverware and plates on the table to match the decorations now surrounding her while also placing finer details around the manor. Each room was exactly like it was before Alois changed them.

"I transform day into night, sugar into salt, creatures into corpses, and navy into gold."

"'That's what makes a Trancy butler'," Lily teased as she finished putting purple roses into a vase. "That's your line right?"

"Well, maybe I do say that line too many times. You've been here for only a short while, but you already memorized my catchphrases," he said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him. "Or do you just watch me a lot?"

"A girl doesn't reveal her secrets," she said right before he kissed her intensely. Ah, she always loved this. Plus, she didn't have to hide it since . . .

"Do you two ever get a room?" Alois said as he walked into the room. The two stopped kissing, but still stayed close to each other. "Well, I see no harm in it. If it motivates her to keep slaving away her life here, then go for it, but that's my Claude for you! As long as I have you two, I don't need those useless clods. However, _this_ is where I would like to display my roses," he said as he placed rose stems in their mouths, like a dancer would during the tango. Soon, Alois began to dance around to no music and then clapped his hands as he said, "Olé." However, as the brat left, she started to laugh at how stupid they looked. However, he took the rose out of his mouth and placed it in her red hair.

"He's wrong. _This_ is where I would like to display the roses."

"Oh you," they said as they kissed again.

* * *

Soon, the carriage arrived at the front of the estate and out came Arnold Trancy, a priest and . . . Viscount Druitt?! Oh hell no! Not this dumbass again, Lily thought. Her eyes were filled with anger, but she had to make sure that she looked calm in front of the guests.

"Uncle Arnold," Alois yelled at the top of his lungs as he excitedly ran to his uncle with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, Alois," he said with surprise. Soon, Claude and Lily walked out and greeted the guests. The guests examined the place and the servants, but Viscount Druitt took an especially good look at Hannah.

"Oh, how could God be so cruel to put all of the world's beauty into one woman? She is just so-," he said in pure admiration before he was interrupted.

"That's enough out of you," Lilliana said as she covered his mouth. If she didn't shut him up now, he wouldn't stop talking for hours. "Please do make yourselves at home. I'm sure everything will be to your liking." The all walked into the manor and to their surprise, they saw that everything in the manor looked exactly the same as they last saw it when Earl Trancy was still alive.

"Oh, it's all just as it was when Uncle Trancy was alive; a glittering mansion on gold," Viscount Druitt said with glee.

"Yes, I haven't changed even the smallest things since my father's time. I . . . don't want to lose my father's warmth or essence," Alois said, shedding a tear in the process.

"That shows your love for him," the priest said.

"I lived a sickening long time in a certain village. I don't even know what the place was called or how long I was there. I was worked like a slave and not even allowed to go outside. There was just one boy in the same situation and I thought of him as a younger brother. However, that night . . . inside the rippling flames, the broken-off screams, just quietly lying there . . . was that boy . . . dead."

"Oh, that's awful. What in the world happened to that village?"

"I don't know, but my father came to take me home. I thought 'I'm not alone! I finally have love', but then he . . . ,"

"You poor child; despair is a sin and you are one of God's beloved children. I'll help you in any way I can," the priest said.

"Thank you, Father, but I'll be all right. For one thing, I have Uncle Arnold," Alois said as he walked to the man, who just a second ago had a disgusted expression. He didn't believe that Alois was his true nephew and the circumstances surrounding his sudden inheritance made him even more suspicious of him. "Hey, Uncle Arnold."

"Y-Yes, Alois," he asked.

"Don't lean your face too close to me. Your breath stinks." Arnold expressed anger, but Alois only smiled, knowing he upset his dear uncle.

Soon, dinner was over and everyone left the estate in their carriage, just in time too since storm clouds were heading their way. In no time, the storm surrounded the estate and Claude and Lily made sure that Alois was all right during this storm. Although it was very dark outside, there was still some hours left before the young master was scheduled to go to bed. So, in the meantime, they had to entertain the brat, not an easy or even safe task. However, as the two proceeded to get Alois some last minute sweets, they bumped into Hannah . . . quite literally. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Lily said as she stretched out her hand to help her up. "How's your eye?"

She didn't respond to her question, but said, "I need to speak with Claude."

"Oh, what is it about?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to speak with him privately," she said weakly.

"Oh, well then, I'll go . . . get the sweets," she said as she awkwardly left their side. When she was gone, Hannah then whispered something into his ear and his eyes widened with surprise as he pulled away.

"Are you serious? How can you be certain?" he asked.

"Her eyes . . . they were a different color."

* * *

Lily finished delivering the sweets to Alois and was about to go find Claude, but she heard a knock at the front door. She grabbed a candelabrum and walked to the front door, but Claude already beat her to it. Regardless, she walked to him to see who the guest was. "Who the hell would come here in this weather?" she asked as she saw the guest. He was wearing a dark trench coat and a top hat and was carrying a brown trunk, but his facial expressions were hidden.

"What brings you here at this time of night?" Claude asked.

"I've been caught outside in the storm. Might I trouble you for a night's lodgings?" the man asked.

Soon, Alois came to the front door and saw who their guest was. "Wow, he's just so filthy! He's like a drowned rat, but he does smell nice. What's your name?" he asked, but received no reply. "We'll let him stay with us. Got that, Claude and Lily?"

"Yes, of course," Lily said with surprise as she directed their guest to the dining room for something to eat. It may be late, but they bet he was hungry from whatever trip he had. Soon, they provided him with food that Claude had prepared, but he didn't seem to be interested. However, he did seem to be interested in Lily and her unique red hair. Every once in a while, she would catch him looking at her, but she didn't say anything. She actually . . . liked the attention. "Try this too! Claude's cooking is disgustingly good."

"Yes, it's quite magnificent. However . . . there is a tiny speck of sauce on the rim of the plate. I don't sense the mere trifling care it would take to dab it with a cloth," the man said.

"My apologies. I'll clear this right away. I didn't realize that a man who doesn't remove his coat at the dining table would have such delicate sensibilities," Claude said as he removed the plate.

"You flatter me," he said.

"Is there anything else you would to eat, sir?" Lily asked as she cleaned the table from any crumbs he could have left, but despite eating bread, he didn't leave any crumbs.

"I'm afraid not, miss, but I would like to retire for the night."

"Of course, sir," she said as she guided him to one of the guest rooms, but as Claude returned to take care of the guest, he was surprised to see he was gone.

"Where did our guest go?" he asked with a subtle angry tone.

"Oh, Lily took him to one of our guest rooms. Lucky girl; she can talk to him all she wants."

"Which one?"

"Does it look like I know, Claude? If you want to know her whereabouts so badly, go find her yourself. It is your job to keep track of the servants." Claude scowled at his statement, like he normally would, but this time, it was a different. It wasn't the fact that he was annoying, but Lily could be in danger. He looked all over for her, but she didn't take him to any of the guest rooms close by. Where the hell did she take him? That little bitch! He finally managed to find her when he saw the two of them talking right outside an open door to one of the guest rooms. He had a hand of her ruby necklace, so they must have been talking about that, but the lone fact that he had a hand on her right in front of him troubled Claude, though, not for the reason you think.

"Excuse me, but I need to speak with Ms. Bastida," Claude said.

"What is it Claude?" she asked, but he grabbed her forcefully as he pulled her away. "Ow, Claude, you're hurting me," she said, but he ignored her. Instead, she pushed her into one of the guest rooms and locked the door behind them. "What the fuck was that for?" she asked angrily.

"What did he say to you?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"What did he say to you?" he asked more angrily to the point that it started to scare her, but she didn't show it.

"Nothing really important; he just complimented my necklace," she said, trying to calm down her anger.

"Oh, is that all; your necklace? Nothing else?"

"No."

"Well, it would be a shame for Michaelis to see that his little Reaper has been locking lips with another demon."

She raised an eyebrow as she said, "What are you talking about?" However, instead of answering her, he just pulled the necklace off her neck, breaking the chain. She gasped as she tried to grab it back. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

He started to tilt the ruby necklace, but he noticed that something red was spilling out . . . blood. The necklace was just a little clear jar filled with blood. "I knew it. Blood triggers your demonic instincts, but you're not a demon, aren't you?" Claude asked, but she was quiet. "I never thought that I would meet a creature like you: born a Grim Reaper, but raised as a demon, only to be reconfigured to be a Grim Reaper again. The only Grim Reaper who can change her eye color when her demonic instincts kick in; a Rogue Reaper. Isn't that right, Lily Bastida, or should I say, Lilliana Kiliamo."

She stared at him a bit before letting out a chuckle. "Well, Claude Faustus, you figured it out," she said as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they were olive green. "Though, you did take longer than I thought. I would have imagined that a butler like you would see past my disguise a long time ago, but apparently, you were too distracted by my character to notice," she said teasingly.

"Well, since now your cover is blown, answer me this: what were you trying to accomplish?"

"What are you talking about? All I wanted was a job. I lost my other one and I'll admit that I like working with young masters and their demon butlers."

"I don't believe that for a second. If that were the case, then why is it that after you came, _he_ just happened to show up?" he said as he grabbed her wrist.

"A little forceful, aren't we?" she said as she tried to get out of his grip, but he only held her tighter. "Claude, let me go!"

"Tell me what you know and I will let you go, or would you like me to force it out of you," he said as he held her close.

"Claude, if you're going to do what I think you're going to do, you'll regret it," she said, but he guided his hand that was in her wrist to her breast. "Claude, stop it! I'm warning you!"

"Oh, and what are you going to-," he said before he backed away when he saw that she was going to swing her Death Scythe. Once she was free, she broke down the door and started running away, but he wasn't too far behind. He started to throw gold forks and knives at her, but she would either dodge them or block them with her Death Scythe. Eventually, she made it to the basement, hoping to find a hiding spot, but she was surprised to see Alois and the man in the trench coat there

"Lily, what are you doing here?" Alois said before noticing her green eyes, but the man chucked.

"Get back here," Claude said as he threw a new wave of silverware towards her. She dodged the attack, but instead, the man was hit, or at least, it revealed who he really was: Sebastian Michaelis.

"Oops, sorry Sebastian," she said apologetically. Regardless, they were both caught and Claude released yet another wave, but this time, Sebastian blocked it with his ruined trench coat and hurriedly grabbed the trunk he has held onto all this time and the New Moon tea leaves while Lilliana blocked any further attacks with her Death Scythe.

"They're getting away! Stop them, but don't kill them. Catch them, Claude!" Alois yelled. He followed the duo, throwing forks and knives all the way, but they seemed to dodge all, until the last unexpected wave of silverware, which managed to hit them both.

"You value that trunk above your own life? Well, then," Clause said as he started to throw plates at them, but they dodged the attack. Lilliana would be on the offensive side at this point, but it was vital that Sebastian protected what he had in the suitcase with his life. However, the trunk started to open and Sebastian fell to the ground to make sure that his previous cargo didn't fall out. Soon, everyone saw what was inside.

"Ciel Phantomhive? I finally have you," Alois said with glee.

"I'm afraid not," Sebastian said as he threw some knives toward that brat, but Claude caught them before they could do any harm. "I won't let you touch him. It would defile our young master to have someone so foul and vulgar touch him," he said as the two of them jumped onto a cart and rolled away.

"Letting your shoes touch something that carries food? That's no fit behavior for a butler," Claude yelled as he went to follow them.

"Well, you see, I'm simply one hell of-," Sebastian said before he was interrupted.

"No, it's not time for that yet," Lilliana said which for some reason, made him smile. The two of them reached the main hall of the estate where Sebastian and Lilliana jumped on top of a chandelier while Claude looked above.

"I seem to recall that your way is 'day into night, sugar into salt, and navy into golden'. Well, then, I shall transform golden into black," she said as she cut the chains holding up the chandelier and making it fall to the ground, causing the whole room to be pitch black, which terrified the young brat.

"It's dark . . . Claude, I'm scared," Alois said in fear.

"Light," Claude yelled and soon, every candle in the room flickered on while the other servants came in with their own candelabra. Alois seemed to calm down, but they all heard a loud crash, as if someone broke a window to escape.

"After them! Quickly," Alois yelled. The triplets and Hannah ran out to chase them and Claude would have followed them too if Alois didn't hold him back. "No, not you, Claude. Don't go!"

"But-,"

"Don't leave me," Alois said as he started to cry. "Don't leave me alone, Claude, please."

Claude was taken aback by what he was witnessing. What the hell is wrong with this kid? He was so ruthless and cheerful before, but now he was crying his eyes out because Claude was about to leave him. "We are constant companions. Day and night, sugar and salt, creature and corpse . . . defiled and immaculate-,"

"No. . . He was right. I'm nothing more than a foul brat."

"You are my master."

"Forget it. I know you're the same."

"I am your loyal servant. You needn't set out to arouse my interest. I intend to make one hell of a feast out of you," Claude said as he cupped Alois' face in his hands, but Alois pushed them away.

"Forget it! Everyone can just . . . get swallowed up by the darkness."

* * *

"I think we lost them," Lilliana said as they stopped running to catch their breaths. "We had quite a head start and they won't know where we would have gone." Soon, Sebastian set the trunk on the ground and began to open it. "Did you really have to put him in that?"

"Well, how else would I carry him without being caught?" he asked as he pulled out their young master. "Thank you for all the work you've done. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"Well, it wasn't hard for me to convince them that I was a demon, but keeping my eyes red was a different story. That's why I needed the necklace. As long as I smelled blood, they would stay red."

"Speaking of red, why did you have to choose _that_ color," he said almost in disgust as he pointed at her hair.

"What's wrong with the color?"

"It reminds me of a certain Grim Reaper who I hope to never see again."

"I'll admit, he was an inspiration, but what other color could I have picked? I couldn't keep my black hair since almost every demon knows of the Rogue Reaper thanks to Lucifer, I used to be a blonde and if anyone saw a blonde demon by the name of Lily, some connections could be made, and brown hair was just . . . boring. Besides, red is a unique color. I have to give him some credit."

"And the makeup?"

"It was Katia's idea," she said. Sebastian gave her a glare since he remembered the last time he saw her, she tried to kill him. "I know you two are not on good terms, but we've become closer since then. I turned out to be her closest friend."

"Are you sure that the two of you aren't more than 'friends'?"

"Well, to her, she thinks we're more than that, but it's nothing serious. Consider it innocent flirting. Besides," she said as she wrapped her arms around him so that her chest was lying on his back, "You are the only one who has permission to 'defile' my body."

"I'm assuming that you and that . . . butler didn't . . . ,"

"Fuck no; if he saw me naked, he would see the mark of the covenant on my lower back and on the scar on my . . . ," she said, but stopped. Sebastian looked at her and saw that her eyes were beginning to water. "I keep forgetting it's no longer there."

"I'm sorry," he said as he hugged her, but she pushed him away as she wiped her face.

"I had to distract him though. I couldn't just start flirting with him when you came or else he would have been suspicious, but he saw through my disguise anyway," she said, trying to change the subject.

"Well, now that over, I brought your Reaper clothes for you to change into. I'm sure you don't want to be in that dress anymore," he said as he handed her the clothes she missed so much. Ever since the catastrophic fire that claimed many lives, to everyone's surprise, they were given a week off. However, Lilliana was special. First, she didn't take her vacation until everyone else took theirs. After all, someone had to work while a bunch of Reapers were gone. She proved herself to William and he allowed her to take as much time as she wanted off when everyone returned, so she used that time to work with Alois Trancy to find Ciel's missing . . . ring.

"Thanks," she said as she began to comb her red hair, which soon turned black. Grell and Katia have given her a lot of tips about disguises, seduction, and even looking more feminine for the past few weeks, but it felt great to be back in the swing of things.

Sebastian then opened the box of New Moon tea leaves and pulled out what they have been looking for: Ciel's blue diamond ring. He placed it on his master's thumb and said, "Young master, it's time to wake up."


	2. Solo Butler for a Rogue Reaper

"Open your eyes, young master," a voice said to a sleeping Ciel. He stirred for a bit before he opened his eyes to see the summer sunlight. He got up slowly and soon realized that he was on a boat on a river. "You slept well," Lilliana said with a smile. Ciel looked around to see who was in the boat and was surprised to see Sebastian, Lilliana, and . . . Elizabeth? In another boat next to him, he saw the three servants with tarps over what appeared to be their cargo. How long was he asleep for?

"Young master, we are almost there. It's time to work," Sebastian said as the rowed further down the river as gently as he could. Eventually, they arrived to their destination: a little party for nobles celebrating the new flood-gate that the Funtom Company had built. Anyone who helped to either fund or build the gate was welcome with food and drinks provided. Everyone marveled at the young boy's latest accomplishment, even though some thought that this was another excuse to get more money.

"Ciel! Ciel, look at this," Elizabeth said as she hugged her fiancé and showed him a newspaper . . . and by show, she really just put the newspaper in his face.

"Come on, Elizabeth. I can't see it like this," he said as she tried to push the paper and her away from him.

"It's a deer," she said with glee as she pointed at the picture on the front page. "There is an ever so rare and elusive deer on a hill near here. It's a white stag that brings happiness."

"I've never heard of such thing," he said as he grabbed the paper to get a closer look at the picture.

"According to legend, the rare white stag has traditionally been considered as a messenger of the otherworld. Those who receive his message are supposedly blessed with good fortune," Sebastian said.

"You just know about everything, don't you?" Lilliana said teasingly, which only made Sebastian chuckle.

"If I didn't know pretty much everything, then what kind of butler would I be?"

"That's just a fairy tale," Ciel said skeptically.

"No, it's true! There are witnesses! Let's go look for it, Ciel. Please," Lizzie begged.

"I can't; I'm busy," he said, but saw her eyes filling up with tears. Damn, did she have to play the guilt card every time she wanted him to do something for her? It's getting annoying.

"You're so mean," she said before she started crying, making a scene in front of their guests. He tried to calm her down before people saw, but it was too late. People were whispering among themselves about how bad of a fiancé he is or possibly not even being a genuine fiancé to Elizabeth in the first place.

Out of defeat, Ciel said with a sigh, "Sebastian, Lilliana, prepare a boat."

"Certainly," they said in unison as they started to leave their side.

"Lady Elizabeth, I'd like to investigate another floodgate downstream. Would you favor me with your company on the river? I'm told that the elusive white stag lives on this land. Have you heard of it?" Ciel said in front of the crowd to regain his social standing. If everyone thought he was mean to her fiancé, then it could severely hurt his reputation. For now, this was the lesser of two evils.

"Yes, of course! I'd love to come with you," she said, playing along. She knew as well as him how important reputation is to nobility.

Soon, they prepared for the boat ride, but Lilliana was surprised to see that Lizzie needed to find the perfect dress . . . for boating? Do nobility really need to dress nicely for boating? What's the point? The only theory she could think of was that she wanted to impress her beloved fiancé, but she wasn't too sure about that. She was already wearing a nice dress. Couldn't she have worn that one? Regardless, she and Mey-Rin were having fun dress shopping while she helped Finnian and Baldroy load the servants' boat that had all the cargo they needed for this mini trip. However, when Ciel and Lizzie finally reached the boat, a crowd gathered to watch the couple, looking in awe of the adorable scene before them.

"Sebastian, what the devil are they doing? This isn't a circus," Baldroy said.

"I imagine they are trying to find fault with our young master. He has quite a few social enemies. For one thing, there are many who would stand to gain from those two breaking off their engagement," he said.

"Break it off?" the three servants asked in shock. Even though the two were an odd pairing, they have gotten used to the idea of having her around all the time, especially since one day they will get married. How could the two ever split up? He actually seems to smile more when she's around and she loves him with all her heart.

"I ask that you three behave yourselves and not get any ideas."

"Y-Yes sir," they all said with a salute. However, as Sebastian and Lilliana entered one of the boats, they could hear them murmuring about how to make sure that the young couple don't break off their engagement, but do they really need saving? This past year, Ciel has grown a lot closer to Lizzie since . . . wait, never mind.

Lizzie looked everywhere with her binoculars for the white stag, but seemed to find nothing. However, the three servants had a plan as they dived into the water. They knew that they were looking for a white stag . . . wait, what's a stag? None of them really knew for sure, so they gathered white animals, ranging from geese, rabbits, and even a horse, but none of them found what they were looking for.

"Do those look like a deer to you?" Ciel said in annoyance, but Lizzie smiled at the thought.

"Be a man and put all your money on the long shot," a voice said in the distance. They all looked in the direction and saw that someone was hosting a bet for their journey; one being if they find the white stag and the other being if they separate or not. With a closer inspection, they could see that a familiar face was hosting the bet: Lau. So, he has finally returned and Ciel has to confront the fact that he . . . wait, never mind.

"What does he think he's doing?" Ciel said under his breath as he watched the scene in front of him.

"I was sure we would find the stag by lunch," Lizzie said as she sat down on the blanket on the grass. Like she said, it was lunchtime and everyone knows how particular Ciel could be when any of his meals are late, or if, for that matter, if Sebastian denied him any sweets. Therefore, they docked the boat while the two of them could get something to eat.

"It's called 'elusive' because it is hard to find, isn't it?" Ciel said.

"I suppose you're right," she said with a tired tone, but it soon turned to glee as she said, "All right, we'll eat lunch and then get back to searching! What's today's lunch, Sebastian and Lilliana?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, we have shrimp salad, salmon pie, and Cheshire cheese sandwiches," Lilliana said as Sebastian opened the box that was supposed to have their food, but to their surprise, there was a live pig inside. "Our apologies; there seems to have been a slight mistake."

"That's not like you two," Elizabeth said. Sebastian opened the next box, but four pigeons flew out of the box. However, the two servants quickly caught the birds before they could escape and put them back into the box.

"Honestly, what are you playing at?" Ciel said in annoyance

"One moment, my lord," Sebastian said with a smile, trying to hide the fact that he was mad at those idiot servants for packing the wrong things.

They walked a little ways to where the servants were eating their lunch, but they seemed awfully pleased with themselves. "Freshness of ingredients is critical. A premade pie isn't the done thing," Baldroy said.

"Will the pigeons I caught be useful, too?" Mey-Rin asked.

"Yes! We'll just lightly roast them with this beauty here," he said as he showed them his flamethrower. Honestly, does he ever leave the kitchen without one? "After that, the little lady will be all smiles!" However, Mey-Rin and Finny saw Sebastian and Lilliana smiling very eerily to them from behind Baldroy. They gasped at the sight, but before he could turn around, they bopped their heads, one from each deity, except Baldroy, who received two from Sebastian.

"Ow, that hurt," they said while covering their heads. Despite putting no effort, they can make quite a sting.

"Really, how many times do I have to tell you to behave yourselves?" Sebastian said as the two of them began to make one hell of a lunch for their master and his fiancé. Despite the short amount of time, they made a large amount of food, but they were right about one thing: the food is fresher than it would have been premade. Lilliana had to give Baldroy some credit for today. He really could be an exceptional chef if he really tried.

The three servants marveled at their achievement as Baldroy said, "I-Impressive as ever, you two!"

"If I couldn't make a simple lunch, then what kind of a butler would I be?" Sebastian said.

"Um, I helped too," Lilliana teased as she took the plate out of his hands. "But I guess if you're going to take all the credit, then I should be the one to serve them." She headed back to the young couple and Sebastian couldn't help, but smile as he followed her. "May I present freshwater fish and lobster soufflé with roast pigeon in the style of the Pyrenees," she said with a smile as she served the couple.

"How marvelous! Wait, isn't this a bit different from the menu you listed before?" Lizzie asked.

"We made alterations to show the local ingredients to better advantage." Sebastian said.

"It looks scrumptious!" The two proceeded to eat their delicious lunch as the two servants began preparations for dessert. When they were done, Lilliana cleaned up as Sebastian served them an Eton mess with wild strawberries.

"Yet again, you made quite a delicious dessert," Ciel said, but his tone didn't seemed impressed.

"I imagine you're the only master in the entire world that hires me only for my baking skills," Sebastian said with a smile.

"Ah, you two are such good friends," Lizzie said with a smile.

"I-I'm not 'friends' with some blasted butl-," Ciel tried to say, but he saw her laughing and decided to say nothing more. He didn't want to upset her again.

* * *

Soon, everyone returned to their boats in hopes of finding the white stag, but surprise, surprise; they couldn't find it. "I hope she doesn't make him stay all day to find that damn deer. If this keeps going, I'll be late for work," Lilliana said under her breath, but Ciel heard her.

"Late for what job?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, um, Sebastian put me in charge of dusting the house when we return and if we don't return soon, I'm afraid it will take me all night," she lied. He eyed her suspiciously and looked at Sebastian, who only nodded. He turned to look at Lizzie and Lilliana sighed in relief. That was a close one.

"We're simply not finding it. How tiresome," Lizzie said.

"Want to head home," Ciel asked, tired from all the searching. What's the point in looking for something that most likely doesn't exist?

"No, not yet; just wait, we'll find it!" However, as time passed, it began to sprinkle, but soon turned to on onslaught of rain. Despite this, Lizzie was determined to find the white stag that not even rain, which would ruin her hair and outfit, would stop her. Eventually, she told Sebastian to dock the boat and she rushed out to look for the stag.

"Elizabeth, I'm telling you, wait," Ciel yelled as he rushed after her.

"I just saw it! It's further in the woods," she said.

"Even the stag will be hiding from this rain. Let's call it a day," Ciel said as he turned her around so they could see each other.

"No! I'm going to find the white stag!"

"Don't be unreasonable. We can look for it again anytime we like. We can just hire people and offer a reward," he said, but her smile soon faded.

"Ciel, you idiot! That wouldn't mean anything. You don't understand how I feel at all! Forget it," she said as she started running away from them with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Ah, you made her angry with you. I wonder if that ends it," a voice said from behind them. The trio looked behind them and saw Lau and Ran-Mao looking at them. Sebastian and Lilliana expressed anger, but Ciel only looked at them with surprise.

"Lau, what are you doing here?" Ciel asked.

"I bet on you finding it. I wish you wouldn't disappoint me."

"Why should I care what you want?"

"A gentleman is charged with pleasing his lady, correct? Being an English nobleman is such a bother."

"I was born one; it doesn't bother me in the slightest, but I was born into a disgraced family. My duty is -,"

"Well then! I've finished collecting my money, so I'll just push off," Lau said rather suddenly as he started to leave.

"We're going to bring Elizabeth home, Sebastian and Lilliana," Ciel ordered, but they heard Finny yelling in the distance.

Soon, he reached them as he said out of breath, "Lady Elizabeth is in trouble!" They all looked worried as they ran to where she was. With more rain pouring down on them, it was clear that it wasn't safe to hide the river. If they don't save her as soon as possible, there was a strong chance that she would drown. Eventually, they arrived to the scene and they saw that Lizzie was in the boat, but the water was making it rather rocky and if a large wave appeared, she would fall overboard.

"We got to bring her up," Baldroy said as he tried tugging on the rope, which was her only salvation at this point.

"No, if you pull too hard, she'll capsize," Mey-Rin said as she stopped him.

Lizzie saw that her fiancé came and had a worried look on his face. She held on for dear life as she said, "I saw it . . . on the other side of the river."

"Look out! Don't take your hands off the boat," Ciel yelled.

"I'm going to find the white stag. I'll make sure you find happiness," she said as she tried to release the rope so that the boat could move. She is so determined to find that deer to the point that it could cost her life . . . just to make Ciel happy?

"What shall we do, young master?" Lilliana asked, but she looked further down the river toward the floodgate and saw an even worse fate. "She's not safe here. That old-fashioned floodgate is already leaking. When it bursts, the water it's holding back will wash upstream, making this whole area swamped."

"Sebastian, Lilliana, this is an order: stop the flood," Ciel ordered.

"And what about Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian asked.

"Don't make me repeat myself. I will protect her. It's my duty, after all," he said as he removed his overcoat and his hat.

"Yes, my lord," the two said in unison. They left his side and ran to the old floodgate, but as they looked behind them, they saw that their young lord was holding on to the rope for dear life as he tried to reach the boat.

Soon, they reached the gate, but Sebastian said, "I'm going to stop the flood, but you need to make sure that our young couple is safe. Also, I will need your Death Scythe."

"Wait, what are you going to do?" she asked, but she received no response. Why the hell would he want her Death Scythe? Regardless, she gave it to him without another question. He took off his glove and punched the gate with his bare hand, causing the entire gate to break apart. Water started gushing in and it washed her away. "You son of a bitch!" she tried to yell, but was soon washed away by a sudden wave of water. She wasn't the only one; the young couple was underwater as well. She grabbed them and pulled them out of the water, but she saw that they were already unconscious. She laid them on the grassy ground up above as she tried hard to get the water out of their lungs. In the distance, she could see that Sebastian, the three servants, and Ran-Mao were making a makeshift floodgate out of fallen trees and large boulders. Sebastian was using her Death Scythe to help cut down trees since it could cut through anything with just one swing. Well, smart move, Mr. Sebastian.

Soon, the rain began to die down and everyone ran to see how the young couple was doing. Although Elizabeth woke up a quick time after they were rescued, Ciel did not. Once the rain completely died down, he finally awoke, relieving everyone. "Ciel, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should have never done that," she said as she hugged him with all her might. She was afraid that she lost her beloved fiancé due to her stupidity, which was something she could not forgive herself for.

"Elizabeth, I'm glad you're all right," he said weakly.

"We're all glad that you're all right, young master," Sebastian said.

However, Ciel quickly got up from the ground and said angrily as he pulled on the two servant's shirts (er, dress for Lilliana since she was in her maid outfit), "Why did you open the gate?! I ordered you to stop the flood-,"

"And I followed your order," Sebastian said, which shocked Ciel. "I doubt it will flood here now, or ever again. In order to restore the proper flow of the river, it was necessary to release the damned-up water. I guided the current with a bit of help from everyone and had the river's shape altered to her safest and rightful form, the way she was several thousand years ago when the white stags were here."

"But we didn't find a stag," Ciel said in confusion.

"That's all right. I know we'll find it one day," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Well, if you still want to look for it, he's right on that hill," Lilliana said. They were shocked, but started running to see that damn elusive white stag. However, as they reached the hill, they didn't find a white stag. Instead, they found a white stone image of a deer on the ground, which was good enough.

"It's a white stag," Lizzie yelled in joy.

"It's a hill figure; an ancient figure cut into the chalky rock of a hill. The torrent earlier washed away the surface of the hill and revealed the hidden art," Sebastian said.

"So this is the truth behind the legend," Ciel asked in shock. He was a bit disappointed since he expected to find a live deer, but wasn't upset at what they found.

"Thank goodness you found the white stag, Ciel," she said.

"You were the one looking for it."

"Ciel, are you having fun? I had fun because I got to spend the day frivolling with you. You see, you're always running off somewhere for work and each time you come back, you look upset. They say that people who are fortunate enough to find it are filled with happiness their whole lives long," she said as she held Ciel's hand.

"Lizzie . . . ,"

"You finally called me that," she said with a smile. "Remember this sight, Ciel."

* * *

"Aw, that is such a cute story," Katia said in her room in the rehabilitation center. For a while now, Lilliana would visit her so they could talk about pretty much anything. Even though Bastille was gone, they haven't released her since they believed she needed to be rehabilitated anyway. Lucky for her, though, her year was almost up; only a couple of months left. "We need to visit the white stag once I get out of here."

"Seriously, you want to find it?" Lilliana asked.

"Of course; if it is said to bring people happiness, then we should find it together! Yeah, all five of us should go!"

"Five of us?" Lilliana asked in confusion.

"Yeah; you, me, Ronald, Grell, and William!"

"Since when did you and Will become 'friends'?"

"Well, we aren't the closest friends, but I'm sure you and him are. I can see it by the way he looks at you and it kind of makes me jealous."

"I'm not sure you know what you're implying."

"It's clear that you two were a thing."

Lilliana was silent, but said, "When I was a different person, I did, but we've grown out of those feelings."

"Ha, I was right! I asked him about it and he said that there was nothing there to begin with, but I knew deep down there was something."

"It's not important anyway."

"I'm not sure I can say that," Katia said as she reached under her pillow and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, but not just any paper. "I wish I could read the whole story, but all I could find was this page."

"Where did you get that?" she asked as she took the paper out of her hand. It was a page from the story some author wrote about Will, Grell, and Lilliana when they were taking their final exam. While the story was never published, she kept some pages, including this one.

"It fell out of William's pocket some days ago and curious me wanted to read what it said. Why would he have this in his pocket?"

"I gave it to him to read for shits and giggles."

"True, but why would he have it in his pocket? He could have put it in a drawer at home, but he had it in his pocket, which means that he wanted to keep it with him throughout the day."

"I don't know, but you do realize that I have to give this back to him, right?"

"Oh, please don't! I'll get into trouble if he found out," she said in a worried tone.

"I'm not going to tell him you stole it. I'm going to say that it fell out of his pocket and you wanted to return it," she said as she straightened the paper so there wouldn't be as many folds in the paper.

"Oh, ok, I guess, but could you at least tell me what happened in the story?"

"Sure, but another day; I've got work to do."

"You mean that maid job, right," she said with anger in her voice.

"Yes, I do."

"I can't understand why you still work for that brat. When I worked for him, he treated me so cruelly; especially after he found out I was a Grim Reaper."

"Well, he's not the same person anymore. In fact, he doesn't know who he is anymore."

"I know; you've told me about it already, but why must you stay with him?"

"Well, it's because . . . I'm under contract," she joked, but Katia didn't like that little joke.

"I already don't like him, so don't make it worse for me," she said sadly.

"I don't know what to tell you. He was first, but I don't love him."

"But I love you, Lily, and it breaks my heart to see you with someone else, especially him," she said as she hugged Lilliana, who was startled by the sudden gesture.

Lilliana sighed as she said, "Grim Reapers can't feel love, but I do admit that I find you attractive." She then gave her a sweet kiss as she continued, "It's nothing serious between Sebastian and me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'm sure," she said as she tried to leave the room, but was stopped.

"I still can't stop thinking about Bastille," Katia said. "I mean, he was my assignment, but he was your brother. I let him live, but he died anyway. How have you been handling it?"

"I've been okay, but it is . . . different now that he's not around," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"Now that I think about it, I have no real reason to stay in London, so once my rehabilitation is over, they just might ship me off back to America."

Lilliana looked at her sadly as she said, "Oh, I-I guess you're right."

"But before I go, you'll show me the white stag, right?"

"Sure."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	3. A Wench in Love

"Today's afternoon tea is a green tea from the Kangra Valley with a gooseberry and elderflower jelly," Sebastian said as he served Ciel his afternoon tea and sweets.

Ciel took a bite and said, "Well, it'll do."

"I'm glad you find it satisfactory, my lord. Though, I'm afraid there's work to do when you're finished," Lilliana said as she handed him a letter from the Queen. Ciel took it from her hand and quickly opened the letter.

"People are being burned alive? Ah, yes, the rash of crimes that has swept through London. I'm told there was another victim last night. Her Majesty grieves at the thought of her subjects trembling in fear each night," Ciel said, but not in his usual tone.

"What's the matter, my lord," Sebastian asked, but before he could answer, Lilliana grabbed the letter and examined it herself.

"Faced with a recurrence of these unsavory incidents, I shall once again leave the matter in the hands of the 'dog' . . . and the 'spider'," she said suspiciously, as if she knew something that they didn't.

"What might that mean?"

"Has this same sort of thing happened before? Who is the 'spider'," Ciel asked before taking another sip of his tea, but once he set the cup down, he continued, "There's no use sitting here wondering. We dispel Her Majesty's worries. That's our first priority. We're setting out for London."

"Very good, my lord," Sebastian said with a bow.

"And don't let Madame Red get wind of what we're doing. This is the sort of thing she enjoys. I don't want her poking her nose in."

"I don't believe we'll have any trouble there," Sebastian said with a chuckle. However, Lilliana didn't have the same facial expression. She seemed to be . . . sad about what he said. Why would that be? Being a Grim Reaper, she was surrounded by death and that particular death shouldn't have been emotional for her. Was it the circumstances surrounding it? Was it the fact that one of her fellow Reapers killed her in cold blood? Or was it the fact that he wouldn't be able to remember that dreadful night? Regardless, they all had one job: dispel the Queen's worries.

The three of them prepared the carriage to London, but before any of them got inside, Ciel asked, "Lilliana, would you mind driving the carriage? There is something that Sebastian and I need to discuss . . . alone."

"Oh, sure," she said hesitantly as she got up to the driver's seat. Once the two were inside, she slapped the reigns and they were on their way to London.

"A part of the house of Phantomhive's past that I don't know about," Ciel asked.

O "It's only natural. After all, you were forced to assume the earldom before your father had passed everything down to you," Sebastian said.

"Still, I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. If I, the new family head, resolve an incident my father was involved in, rumor will spread through the criminal underworld and they are sure to make a move."

"You intend to use yourself as bait, my lord?"

"All those who hurt my pride, who brought it low, I'm going to drag them out into the open and make them pay. I'll stop at nothing."

"And if they're already dead?"

"You have to ask? I'll tear the truth out of their rotten flesh with my own hands. That's all there is to it."

"That's my master," Sebastian said with a smile.

"There was something I wanted to ask you, Sebastian. Do you think Lilliana is really loyal to us?"

Not this shit again. "I beg your pardon, my lord?"

"There is something odd about her behavior. She's been really secretive recently and I fear that she plans to do something against the Phantomhive name."

"I'm not sure I see what you see."

"So, I'm wrong? Well, how can you explain the fact that she sneaks out every night after I supposedly go to bed."

"I've noticed that _you_ have snuck out of bed every night."

"That's only because I have suspicions that she is plotting against us. Am I mistaken?"

"Yes, you are, my lord. We chose her just like we did with the other servants because of her many skills. She has proven to be an excellent fighter and will protect you whenever you are in danger. If she were to plot against you, then you may have been killed already."

"But you won't let that happen, will you?"

"If she ever tries to kill you, then I will kill her before she has the chance. I swear it."

"As long as the contract is in action, I cannot die. You will do whatever you can to protect me, even if it costs your life. Never break that contract, understand me, Sebastian?"

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

The three of them arrived to the crime scene where they saw Scotland Yard examining the ashes of the latest victim. Apparently, she was burned alive as she crouched to the ground alongside a wall. The husband was with her, but he was taken to a nearby hospital to care for his burned hands. "It looks like you're having some trouble, Sir Arthur," Ciel said. Sir Arthur turned to the direction of his voice and saw the trio that he deemed as evil, but he digressed since he saw that the brat had a letter from the Queen in his hand. "Let's hear about the investigation."

"There's no progress worth mentioning," he said in annoyance.

"What makes this different than past incidents? There have been similar crimes before, haven't there," he said in a cocky tone.

"Then you knew."

"Aha, you just confirmed it," Ciel said, which made Arthur mad. He hated being played like a fool in front of this evil lord Phantomhive. "Show me the old case files."

"There's nothing left of it and even if there was something, I couldn't show it to you. Scotland Yard will find out who did it, why, and what is has to do with the old case. You're not needed here," Arthur barked.

Ciel only smiled wickedly as he said, "I hope your right. Let's go, Lilliana and Sebas-," However, his sentence was cut short as the three of them saw that Sebastian was looking in utter awe at a group of kittens on top of supposedly their mother cat.

"Oh my god," Lilliana said before letting out a chuckle. Out of all the times to get caught looking at cats, this had to be the worst. He was always a different person when cats were around. It was kind of . . . adorable.

"Those round, attractive eyes so innocent of the filth of this world; that adorable yet somehow noble tail; those pale-pink, soft paws," Sebastian said under his breath.

"Chief Inspector, we didn't find any notable evidence," a man who looked _very_ familiar, approached them, which surprised the hell out of Lilliana and finally got Sebastian out of his cat hypnosis.

"My apologies, young master; they were just such charming kittens," Sebastian said.

"Let's go, cat lover," Lilliana said as she followed Ciel and Sebastian to their next stop.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The noise was so loud, it caused another earthquake in the shop and it wasn't just one person laughing.

"'Well, that's Great Britain for you? . . . Wait, what the heck? I'm through with you!' Thank you very much," Sebastian said. However, Undertaker and Lilliana were laughing their lungs out and could barely breathe.

"That was brilliant," Undertaker said in between laughs and breathes. "I never dreamed I'd see such perfect manzai-style comedy in England."

"He just stood there talking to himself," Ciel said, unimpressed by the joke, but it was hard for someone like him to laugh in the first place.

"You showed me something truly special. I'll have to keep my end of the bargain," Undertaker said as he pulled out a little jar of ashes and something shiny within it from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"I asked to see a corpse from the arson case," Ciel said in confusion.

"Yes, and this it, my lord. I scraped up what was left of the victim on the scene. The fire burned so hot that it only left ashes behind. You could say that her very soul was burned away along with her body," Undertaker said with a more suggestive tone that Ciel didn't pick up on, but Lilliana did.

"Her very soul," she asked.

"Sure, but what would I know? I'm only in charge of making every customer beautiful for their big day. Speaking of which, her funeral should be sometime soon in the cemetery not too far from here."

"Well, then, that's where we are headed. Let's go," Ciel said as he and Sebastian left the shop.

"You two go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"What," Ciel said in both confusion and anger.

"I'm going to ask Undertaker more about . . . this case. I'm sure there's more than he's leading on, but if the funeral is soon, then you two shouldn't miss it," she said with a smile while Undertaker had a look of shock on his face, which was weird to see on an always-smiling man. Ciel eyes her angrily, but went on to the funeral. When the door closed, she asked, "What do you mean by 'her very soul was burned'?"

"There is no second meaning behind it. It's just as I say."

"How is that possible? Fire can't burn souls."

"Well, it can if the fire is hot enough. Also, if I recall, isn't today a very special day for you?"

"Hm," she said with a confused look.

"Oh yes, today is a special day for you, or that is, when you were human."

"I'm not following."

"Look at the calendar," he said as he pointed at the calendar on his wall. She walked up to it and saw date it was today: June 21. There was even writing on it with red ink which she could have mistaken for blood.

"Well, would you look at that, but I don't have time to celebrate a holiday celebrated by humans. I have a lot of work to do."

"Well, I'm happy to tell you that the little game our young lord is playing will end very soon. The murderer will burn in those very flames too tonight."

"Well, I'll make sure I get that case before anyone else can take it. I'll be the person probably closest to the murderer before any other Reaper can get to-,"

"I'm afraid that they already assigned the case."

"To who?"

"Grell Sutcliff."

* * *

"It is not like her to be this late. She said she was only asking questions about the case," Ciel said, still keeping his suspicions about her. However, they were soon forgotten as he watched the funeral. Apparently, the victim was a young newlywed woman and her widowed husband seemed to be the most distraught. Why wouldn't he? He was the last one to see his wife alive and had to watch as his wife was burned to death before his very eyes.

Soon, the coffin was set in the ground, but a couple, one skinny man and one overweight woman, came to the young husband's side as the man said, "Excuse me. I'm Turner, the photographer. I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I've brought you the last picture taken of your wife."

"She was so beautiful, wasn't she," the woman said. The husband looked at the picture and couldn't hold back the tears forming in his eyes. However, as he tried to grab the picture with his bandaged hands, he dropped it, causing the glass to break on impact.

The couple started to walk away, but there was something in the air as they passed by Ciel and Sebastian: the shiny reissue that was on the ashes. The two of them eyed each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

* * *

"Why won't you take the offer?! I'm allowing you not to work for tonight since I'll be watching over your assignment! Why won't you let me collect the soul?"

"I'm sorry, but William gave me this assignment personally. I don't want to disappoint a man as scrumptious as him."

"Since when do you follow the rules? Besides Katia and me, you were the one who has broken the most rules."

"Well, if I'm ever going to get a handsome man's love, I must show him that I can pull my own weight."

"Ugh, you're such a little bitch," Lilliana said to Grell before she was about to fight him, but there was an explosion nearby that caught both of their attention.

"Oh, it must be time to go. I can't resist a fiery scene," he said as he jumped to the next roof to the photo studio.

Lilliana sighed as she said, "I might as well tag along." They finally reached the studio and saw that it was engulfed in flames. "Mr. Turner must be burning alive right now and according to the reports, his soul will burn with it."

"Yes, but who would marry such a hideous woman like her? Even ugly hags can seduce men better than me. It's just not fair!"

"Our, I mean, your job is to collect her soul. You should know why they got married if you read her file," she snapped back.

"Who has time to read that entire thing?"

"Me, William, many other Reaper, and even Ronald-,"

"Shut up, she's getting out," Grell said as the two Reapers saw Mrs. Turner leaving the burning building with such a happy face and sprinkling that shiny stuff all over the streets, but not too far behind her was a carriage and out came Ciel and Sebastian. "Oh, it's Bassy," Grell said in glee, almost as if he was squealing.

"Don't even think about-," Lilliana said, but he was already on the move to chase after him. "God dammit!"

Down below, Mrs. Turner snapped a picture of the two of them as they chased after her, but instead of just a picture, it caused an explosion that Sebastian had to shield Ciel from. "That camera is her ignition device. Capture her, Sebastian," Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said as he chased after her. Soon, Mrs. Turner ran into an alley, hoping to lose them, which it did, not because she was fast, far from it, but it was because of that damn red-headed Reaper revving his chainsaw and swinging down toward Sebastian. Luckily, Sebastian shielded himself from the attack with his forks and knives that he conveniently keeps with him. However, Ciel recognized the color of his red overcoat, one that looked eerily similar to Madame Red's coat. "It's you."

"I've just been dying to see you again, my dear Bassy."

"So, you've been pulling the strings behind the scenes, Grell?"

"All I've been pulling are the red threads of fate that bind our hearts-," Grell said, but was slammed to the ground by Lilliana.

"Thanks for breaking my fall," she said as she landed on the ground. Sebastian and Ciel were shocked to see her here. Plus, Ciel had never seen her in her Reaper uniform before.

"Oh, how could you?! Don't be so rough with me. I thought you would be a lot nicer after Bastille-," Grell yelled as he covered his aching head, but was interrupted.

"You kind of deserved it. After all, you tried to hurt our dear 'Bassy'," she said. She hated saying that nickname, especially when he used it.

"All I did was take a little swipe at him out of excitement! Besides, you and I are both following that old pig!"

"Lilliana, what are you doing here," Ciel asked.

"Oh, well, um . . . I saw this guy chasing after Mrs. Turner and I thought he might know something about the murders."

"What are you talking ab-," Grell tried to say, but was elbowed in the gut by Lilliana.

"Stop lying to me. You better start explaining yourself before I make Sebastian-," he said before he noticed her Death Scythe. "What is that?"

"It's a . . . um . . .,"

"It's a Death Scythe! Just tell the brat already! He's seen you use it before many times," Grell said impatiently as he pulled out his chainsaw. "Though, mine is far better looking than yours."

"Shut your trap, Grell," she said angrily and raised her hand as if she was going to hit him.

Sebastian sighed as he said, "I guess it cannot be helped. They are Grim Reapers, who reap the souls of the dead."

Lilliana was scared to know how he would react, but was surprised when he said, "Grim Reapers, eh? So, there are others like you?"Grell looked at her with a confused look, but she gestured him to not say anything else, which shocked her to see that he was actually willing to comply. This is the first time that he wasn't on bad terms with Ciel.

"I imagine they're here to reap the souls of the arson victims, my lord," Sebastian said.

"But no more work for me now that you're here, Bassy! From now on, it's just our little amorous adventure-," Grell said, but Lilliana pushed him out of the way. "Oh, come on! I'm sure Bassy and I can . . . fool around!"

"I swear, is sex always on your mind," she asked in an annoyed tone.

"We have no time to fool around! Sebastian . . . Lilliana, let's go," Ciel said as he ran to chase after Mrs. Turner.

"Certainly," Sebastian said as he followed him. Lilliana was reluctant, but she followed them. He took the whole Grim Reaper thing surprisingly well compared to last time. Well, the circumstances were different then.

However, as they followed the flames, Sebastian was blocked as Grell jumped in front of him, "Ah, ah, ah, Bassy. If you want me in your arms, leap through these flames-," he said before Sebastian stepped on him to pass through.

"Excuse me," he said politely, though they both knew that inside, he wanted to say something much worse, but he had to keep up appearances.

"Wait, my dear Bassy," he yelled before getting up and chasing him. However, he stopped for a second to ask Lilliana, "So, the brat lost his memory or something?"

"Yes, but it's nothing you need to concern yourself with," she said in an annoyed tone as she ran to catch up to Sebastian. He did annoy her, but this _was_ his assignment after all and she wasn't supposed to interfere. If he didn't collect the soul, then _she_ could get in trouble. They passed by the street of burning corpses and screaming victims to until they reached an alleyway, but they seemed to have lost her and their young lord. "Oh dear, did you let her get away," Grell said.

"Shouldn't you be working, Grell," Sebastian asked curiously.

"I am a hunter of love and I'm on your trail. That _is_ my job, darling," he said before looking at Lilliana, who had red in her eyes, making him a little scared. "Besides, I only have one soul to reap."

"Only one?"

"Margaret Turner is scheduled to die five past midnight 'after an indiscriminate killing spree and burns herself to death as well'," Grell said as he read the case file. "According to the soul ledger, this is the only soul I'm meant to reap."

" _You_ are the only want reaping that soul? Why is Lilliana with you then?"

"She wanted to tag along since she was more likely to tag along with you and that brat. Kill two birds with one stone."

"And I was right, wasn't I," she said.

"Only because you were begging me to let you have the assignment!"

"Regardless, why aren't either of you collecting the souls of the fire victims," Sebastian asked.

"Well, when Margaret burns people to death, their souls are burned away with them. It's very rare, but it's possible, apparently," Lilliana explained.

Ciel had been following Mrs. Turner for a while, or at least, as much as he could before he lost her. Still, what was bothering him was the fact that the three deities, who could catch her no problem, were lagging behind. Where the hell were they? Still, he would have never imagined that a Grim Reaper was working for him, but it was actually a good thing. Sebastian has been a very efficient butler and she was on almost equal level with him, which meant that she could pretty much do everything he could. With two deities protecting him, one that would prevent his death at any cost and one who could foresee deaths, he would be unstoppable.

"Where did she go," Ciel said underneath his breath as he reached a fork in the road near a bell tower. However, he noticed a trail of the magnesium oxide in the air and looked up to the top of the bell tower. Up there, he saw that she was pouring out barrels of that stuff down to the streets below. "Does she plan to burn down the whole town?" He ran inside the bell tower and climbed the large amount of stairs, but right before he reached halfway, a patch of the magnesium oxide caught a spark and exploded right at the window closest to Ciel, causing him to be pushed to a nearby wall, but before he could feel the hard wall, he was pushed into someone arms. As he regained his footing, he saw who caught him.

"Are you all right, young master," Lilliana asked gently.

"You finally managed to catch up. Where are Sebastian and your friend?" As usual, he could never show genuine gratitude, but she expected that.

"Well, Grell is holding back Sebastian and I thought that I would try to find you."

"And you couldn't help him?"

"Let's just say that Grell won't listen to me at all, even if it would help him, but enough about them. We have to catch Mrs. Turner," she said. He nodded and the two of them rapidly climbed up the stairs. Soon, the two of them finally reached the top and saw that Mrs. Turner was pouring out the last of the powder to the streets below.

"That's enough of that," Ciel said as he pulled out his gun.

"So, you've come to interfere with my happiness, too," she said as she grabbed her camera, waiting to fire.

"Did you really think you could find happiness after this?"

"Of course! He told me so," she said as she took a picture, causing an explosion. Luckily, Lilliana managed to push him out of the way in time and though she seemed to get out of the way in time, Ciel did notice that there was some powder on her clothes. Mrs. Turner walked closer to them as she said, "A little brat like you would never understand how rotten it was to be married off to a man I didn't love! I want to feel a burning passion for a splendid man and I'll fry anyone who gets in my way!"

However, Lilliana and Ciel began to laugh at what she said, making Mrs. Turner angry. "You're pathetic. If you're going to moan about it, fight. If it bothers you, get moving. Just wallowing in your rotten luck like that makes you worse than a pig," Ciel said.

"Pig . . . Pig . . . Pig, did you just call me a pig?! I'll roast anyone who calls me a man, boy, man, or woman," she said as she triggered the explosions. Lilliana tried her hardest to protect Ciel, but it was getting pretty annoying to be the subject of these fiery photos. After all, they have been hitting her, but she hasn't been affected. She's a Grim Reaper, after all. A stab or gunshot to the heart wouldn't be able to kill her. It would hurt a bit, but not kill. These explosions are a walk in the park. Though, Mrs. Turner noticed that she wasn't burning despite how close she has been to the flames. "Why won't you just burn?" She triggered yet another explosion, but this one managed to make Ciel's eye patch fly off.

"How long do you intend to fool around? Come, Sebastian," Ciel yelled.

"You're talking to yourself now," Mrs. Turner said, but she heard a loud sound from below the bell tower. They all looked down and saw that Sebastian was literally running up the tower at a 90 degree angle while Grell was using his chainsaw to reach the top. "What the devil?!"

"That's my butler," Ciel said.

"And that red-headed freak is more _deadly_ efficient than he looks," Lilliana said with a smirk. She never thought she would say that in her entire life.

"Stay out of this," Mrs. Turner said as she threw a barrel directly at Grell and triggered an explosion, but to her surprise, he didn't burn or seem to be affected by the direct explosion at all. "W-Why won't you burn?!" She triggered many explosions, but none of them seemed to slow him down. In fact, he seemed to enjoy taking all these beautiful pictures.

"Using him a bait? Sebastian, you fiend," Lilliana said under her breath with a smile. "Though, I would do the same." Eventually, the two of them reached the top of the tower and Mrs. Turner tried to set Grell on fire, but no matter how many pictures she took or how close they were to him, he would not burn. Instead, he posed for various pictures, enjoying the attention.

"Now listen here! We ladies ripen and redden and sweeten each time you photograph us! That's right, just like a bright-red, succulent fruit! It's pouring, no, gushing out of me; just welling up out of every pore! Yes, right now, I am the Queen of the Fruits, the ripest of all the Reapers," Grell said out of utter thrill.

"Indeed, I can hardly resist biting you," Sebastian said, but it caused Lilliana to push him a bit. "What's the matter? Are you jealous?"

"N-Not even,' she said almost frantically.

"You're late," Ciel said.

"My apologies, my lord," Sebastian said.

"I told you to burn," Mrs. Turner said as she tried to ignite another fire, but Sebastian managed to push her out of the way so she would lose grip of her camera and drop it. "Impossible . . . ,"

"This is the least I would do on my master's orders."

"WH-Who are you people?!"

"I am simply one hell of a butler."

"I'm the Queen of the Reapers," Grell said as he grabbed the camera.

"And I'm one hell of a Rogue Reaper," she said as she pulled out her Death Scythe.

"Now, tell us everything," Ciel asked firmly.

Mrs. Turner started to sob as she said, "He told me what to do. He told me if I did this, splendid men would fall in love with me!"

"He?"

"Yes, the one with the golden eyes," she said and would have continued if a sudden spark didn't set off the flames that engulfed her. Everyone looked in shock.

"I can't believe it! Her soul is burning too," Grell said in shock and confusion.

"Burning passion! Happiness," Mrs. Turner yelled with insanity as the flames consumed her

"Wait, I still have quest-" Ciel tried to say, but Sebastian pulled him back before a bigger explosion would claim his life. They managed to land on the ground below safely with Ciel in Sebastian's arms.

"Are you all right, young master," Lilliana asked.

"I'm fine," he answered as Sebastian put him down.

"This can't be! How could the soul I'm scheduled to collect just burn up?! This can't be! It's just not right," Grell said in a worried frantic.

"Maybe you have the wrong person," Lilliana asked, trying to make sense of all of this too.

"No, they gave me this assignment personally! Oh, they are going to be mad for sure," he said, but soon saw Sebastian and had an idea. "I'll have to report this to Will, so I'll make this the last one," Grell said before positioning the camera in front of them so he could snap a picture of him and his dear Bassy. "Next time, let's sit for a lovers' portrait in the night, Bassy. Toodle-loo," he said as he left their side.

"Thank you for what you've done today, Lilliana," Ciel said, which surprised Lilliana. "You've managed to protect me throughout the night and have become a more key player to my plan. I . . . I just wanted you to know that."

"Well . . . um . . . thank you, young master," she said with surprise in her voice.

"Young master, you ordered me to capture her, but . . . ," Sebastian said as he showed him a handful of Mrs. Turner's ashes.

"So, everything burned to ashes. I'll inform Her Majesty that these murders were the work of a woman crazed with greed."

"I see that humans are capable of doing quite a bit out of longing for love," Sebastian said.

"What a ridiculous waste," Lilliana said. "All this for a silly shapeless, meaningless thing like 'love' . . . ," She drew quiet. Katia did the same thing in a way out of what she thought was love.

"Laughable, isn't it?"

"Very, but not everything has burned away. Investigate this 'spider'. It may have made a move during this case," Ciel ordered.

"At once, my lord," the two of them said in unison.

* * *

Lilliana was in her room, waiting for him to return from putting Ciel to bed. He said he had a surprise for her that he wanted to show her personally, but she couldn't think of what it was this time? What could he possibly surprise her with? She was never the type of girl that would be excited for sweets or flowers or anything like that. Even sex wasn't surprising for her, which what she was expecting to happen at this point. Though, for someone who was just putting someone to sleep, he was taking an awfully long time. She was getting impatient and was about to go to bed anyway, but then, Sebastian walked into the room, both with a smile on his face and confusion in his eyes. "You couldn't wait just a little bit longer," he asked teasingly.

"You were taking forever," she said as she got out of bed. "I'm just lucky that it was a slow night tonight. It's rare that I don't have any work to do," she said as she got out of bed.

"I had to make sure that the preparations were set. After all, today _is_ a special day," he said before kissing her. Once their lips parted he whispered, "Happy birthday."

"How do you know-," she asked in surprise.

"Well, when I had a glimpse at your Cinematic Record, I noticed one memory: the last birthday you had with both of your parents and your brother."

"But when was that-," she tried to say, but she soon remembered the answer, "When that angel revealed my past to me."

"Exactly and as a treat, I have arranged some preparations for your special day."

"The surprise?"

"Yes, but if we stay here, I'm sure everyone will get impatient."

"Everyone? What do you have planed?"

"You'll see," he said as he guided her out her room and into the dining hall, but as the door opened, she was very surprised by what she saw.

"Surprise," the three servants yelled at the top of their lungs. Apparently, there was a mini party to celebrate her birthday and the servants, Ciel, and even Undertaker and Katia were all there. "Happy birthday, Lilliana!"

"Oh my god, I never would have imagined this," she said, almost so overwhelmed with emotions that she could cry. However, there was one thing on her mind. She walked up to Undertaker and Katia and asked, "How did you manage to get her out?"

"I've managed to pull a few strings and was able to convince the Head Reapers that for the remainder of her rehabilitation, she should work with me so she could have a better understanding of what it means to be a Grim Reaper," Undertaker said with a giggle. "Apparently, they ate that all up."

"Isn't it wonderful, Lily? Now, you don't have to take all that time out of your schedule to see me! I'll just be a walk away," she said as she hugged her. She could have kissed her now, but she didn't want to make an unwanted scene in front of that brat who luckily didn't remember her nor the man who seemed to have stolen Lilliana's heart. "Oh, we got you something," she said as she handed her a little green gift box with a black ribbon.

"What is it," she asked teasingly as she grabbed the gift.

"Open it and find out." Lilliana pulled the ribbon and opened the lid. What was inside? It was a little dainty necklace, but what made it special was that the charm had a little flower inside: a lily. "I hope you wear that the next time we see you! After all, we spent a long time trying to find you something you would love."

"The lily was my idea," Undertaker said.

"I love it! Thank you," she said with a big smile.

"You're welcome," they said.

"Lilliana, I picked these flowers out just for your special day," Finnian said as he showed her a vase with many different types of flowers inside it. It was quite beautiful.

"I cleaned up the place so it would shine," Mey-Rin said. She was right, the place was spotless and not a mess in sight . . . yet.

"And I baked the best cake you will ever taste! I even managed to make it without using a flamethrower." She looked at the rather big cake, but could see that Ciel already asked Sebastian to slice a piece for him.

"Ho, ho, ho," Tanaka said as he handed her a new tea set as a gift.

"Oh, you guys are the best," she said as she gave them all group hugs. They may be annoying at times, but moments like these are the reason why she endured it.

"I would have gotten you a gift, but I was too preoccupied with the arson attacks," Ciel said.

"Young master, you actually already gave me a gift just by saying I'm a key member to your plan. That's all I need."

"Well, regardless, I ordered Sebastian to get you one," he said as he signaled Sebastian to give her the present. He walked up to her and handed her a little white box with a red ribbon. She grabbed it and opened the gift. What was inside? It was a simple silver pocket watch, but what made it special was the design: it looked exactly like Sebastian's.

"Thank you," she said as she hugged him. "After all, this is my first birthday party I've had since I was a human. You've made it _real_ special. Thank you."

"If I couldn't throw a simple party, then what kind of a butler would I be?"

After a while, everyone decided to go to bed since it was almost midnight. The servants cleaned up the room, Undertaker and Katia left, and Sebastian went to put Ciel to bed. Lilliana placed her gifts on the nightstand close to her bed, but she was surprised to see one more gift. It was a little blue box with a blood red ribbon. She thought it was from Sebastian, thinking it was a special gift that he couldn't give her in front of everyone. She opened it and when she looked inside, she gasped. What was inside? It was a little ring, but what was special about it was that it was a blue diamond ring, like Ciel's. However, the design was very familiar to her. She looked at the box again and there was a little note inside the box. She took it out and couldn't believe what she was reading:

 _Dear Lily Kilia,_

 _A little demon birdie told me that it was your birthday. I'm not sure what Grim Reapers exactly do on birthdays, if they even celebrate it at all, but I just want you to know that my father and I would like to wish you a very happy birthday. We hope the ring is to your liking. Your brother said that it was the same one you would wear all the time as a human and now I see why. It's quite beautiful. Speaking of which, there was one other gift that Lucifer and I would like to give you, but it's not something you could wrap in a bow. Trust me, I tried to make him wear something like that so I could get a picture for you, but he refused. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this: Bastille is alive and he's in Hell right now. Now, I could get in a lot of trouble for saying this, but as long as my father doesn't find about this letter, I'm fine. I can't say anymore, but I will watch over him until he's allowed to return. Again, happy birthday and maybe I will see you sometime soon. It's been a long ass time since I last saw you._

 _Love from your Big Sis from different parents,_

 _Lucille Mirasuka_


	4. Terrorists Onboard

"Goodbye, young master. I hope you have a nice trip, yes," Mey-Rin said as Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana prepared to board a train.

"Right, he said.

"See that you behave yourselves while we're away," Sebastian said.

"Oh, a train trip sounds marvelous! I want to try it sometime," Finnian as he was running around the train station like a little child. After all, he hasn't done much outside of the manor, so whenever he had the oppritunity to go anywhere, he would enjoy every minute of it.

"Finny, quit running about like that," Baldroy warned, but it was too late. Finny accidentally bumped into one of the men loading the cargo cart, causing him to lose his balance and drop the large heavy crate . . . onto his right hand. He yelled in pain as he tried to get them out and Finny looked in horror and guilt.

"I'm so sorry," he said in genuine remorse.

"Are you all right," Mey-Rin asked as she tried to help the man free his hand.

"Don't touch that! That's a valuable scholarly resource. Do you have any idea how much it's worth," a man with a cigar said as he approached the servants. They noticed that the man was finally able to get his hand away from being further squished, but they also saw that the crate was open. They took a peek and saw it was a sarcophagus with a real mummy inside. The servants looked with fright, except for Mey-Rin, who loved this kind of stuff.

"A mummy, eh," Ciel said.

"I believe there's been somewhat of an Egyptian antiquities boom amongst the moneyed classes recently. A mummy would be a valuable collector's item," Lilliana said. However, they noticed someone approaching the mummy and it was someone that Lilliana absolutely hated.

"Forgive us, O Lord," a priest said as he made the sign of the cross. Lilliana couldn't help, but be angry, but she had to keep calm, at least, until they got inside the train.

"Pack it up this instant and be gentle about it," the man said as the two porters, including the one who was just injured, quickly picked up the open crate.

"I pray no calamity shall befall you," the priest said as he made yet another sign of the cross. Suddenly, a whistle rang through the area and Lilliana sighed in relief.

"Let's get on the train before I decide to devour another holy soul again," Lilliana said to Sebastian as she started boarding the train. He couldn't stop himself from grinning at her comment, but waited until his young master boarded the train before entering. Soon, they arrived to their private passenger cart and sat down. Not too long after, the train started moving. Lilliana couldn't help, but admire the landscapes. She hadn't really traveled too far from home, so she enjoyed every chance she got to travel with her young master. As a Grim Reaper, she felt trap since if she tried to leave London, even as a vacation, she feared that the Reaper Association would track her down and charge her with leaving her Reaper duties. Going to Paris last year was the only real vacation she had.

"Would you like your tea, young master," Sebastian said as he finished preparing tea with his mobile tea set. "I find that the aroma of Williamson & Major's summer Darjeeling perfectly suited to the sight of greenery through a train window." However, Ciel was unresponsive as he continued to stare at the scenery around him. If anything, he seemed to be bored.

"Young master, we're meant to seem as if we're on holiday. The criminal will spot us like this. Please try to look a bit . . . pleasanter," Lilliana said.

"I know, I know," Ciel responded.

"Are you really that preoccupied with the Trancys, my lord," Sebastian asked.

"No. I am curious, of course, but for the moment, that's all. Right now, the Queen's orders take priority." Ciel then looked toward the hallway of the train. He noticed that there was a man in a frantic state holding a briefcase very close to him. He showed his servants the man and said, "That's Lord Ackroyd, then? And the boy kidnapped was his only son."

"Yes. If the police find out, the hostage will be killed. He was instructed to bring the ransom of 5,000 pounds aboard this train."

"I take it that's the price humans set for their own souls," Sebastain joked, but still sounding serious.

"The kidnapper must be somewhere on this train. We'll find him, capture him, and safely rescue the hostage. That's the only way to dispel Her Majesty's distress."

* * *

After about an hour or so, Ciel decided that it was time to stretch his legs and walk around the train. As they entered a passenger cart filled with high class people, including the man they met before, discussing random topics. However, they couldn't help but hear about the man's success of retrieving the mummy. Everyone around him was so amazed by his story, but the trio was not impressed. "It's so crass to brag about robbing a grave," Lilliana said.

"I met him once during his lifetime. He was an affable man of great virtue," Sebastian said, talking about the mummy.

"Wait, how old are you," she asked in shock.

"Old enough," he said before continuing, "Still . . . even taking the desiccation into account, his face really seems quite different."

"Then he's a fake," Ciel asked. "Do you mean that the archeologist is the kidnapper?"

"I couldn't say, my lord."

"The train that left St. Pancras station st exactly 9 o'clock with crowds the Cambridge-bound route at Bedford at 10:18. Oh, this is thrilling! This is not to be missed! We'll pull in to Derby Station at 1:05. Oh, we'll have a time lag! Considering the weather, the porters will have a hard time of it! It'll be about seven minutes, I'd wager," one man said with excitement as he was reading something in a book, but he had so many of them.

"Is he reading the timetables," Lilliana asked.

"Yes, he seems to have a bizarre obsession with railways," Sebastian said. Ciel started to walk toward the other side of the cart, but accidentally bumped into a bag in the middle of the aisle.

"What do you think you're doing, you damn brat," an old, but short angry man said to him.

"I see you're from Japan. The scrollwork on that furoshiki wrapping cloth is lovely," Sebastian said with a smile as he tried to pick it up and put it out of the way, but was stopped.

"Don't touch it! This is a precious family heirloom," he said as he hurried to grab it and pull it close to his chest. What was he hiding in there?

"I'm so sorry, my boy. He's just so stubborn," a kind, little, old woman said as she approached them. "Here, take this as a token of our apologies," she said as she presented him with rice balls, but Ciel was not the only one suspicious of the kind gesture since everyone else seemed to stay away from her and her rice balls.

"No thank you, Ma'am," Lilliana said with a smile.

"Oh, I see. Well then, would anyone else like one? I have plenty. There are some with bonito flakes and some with pickled plums. Here, have some," she said as she presented the dish to other passengers, but none would take it out of fear.

"I don't want any of your bloody Oriental food. Everyone says cholera is rampant in Asia," one passenger said as politely as he could, but it still came off as rude.

"That's an outrageous falsehood," the old man said as he rushed toward the man who insulted his wife.

"Stop that. Don't you think it's rude for you to take that attitude with traveled who have come all this way," the priest said as he got up and faced the scene behind him. Lilliana tried to leave the room so that she could calm down. Especially after she remembered what one priest did to her when she was human, she was furious of priests. Even if they seem to be genuine men of God (what a joke), she always believed that they were either brainwashed or corrupt. However, before she could open the door, a man suddenly walked into her and they both fell, her on her back and his face right in the middle of her chest.

"I-I'm so sorry, miss! I-I-It was an accident," he said as he got up, but Sebastian wasn't far behind to give a earful to the man, but he looked all too familiar to them both.

"Inspector Abberline? I didn't expect you to be here," Ciel said, but Abberline was too distracted by the still rambunctious crowd to respond to Ciel.

"Everyone please calm down! I can understand your uneasiness. Yes, were transporting an assassin on this train. However, he is being kept under strict armed guard, unable to move about. So, there is nothing to worry ab-," he tried to finish, but every passenger was more terrified and angry than they were before he arrived. However, each one had the same reaction: get the fuck out away from the cargo car, even managing to trample the one man who was suppose to keep them safe. However, as Abberline began to stand up, he finally got a good look at the trio still around. "Why, it's you; Ciel Phantomhive and his servants."

"Hello, Abberline. We were just on our way to the dining car, but I suppose you're too busy to-," Sebastian said, but was interrupted.

"I have time to eat and chat. I am rather peckish," he said with a smile, much to the dismay of everyone.

The four of them arrive to the dining car and were served a meal fit for a first class passenger: eel pie and mash. However, Lilliana checked in her pocket for something, but noticed it missing and said, "Excuse me, young master, but I'm afraid I left something at our lounge car. I shall return momentarily."

"What do you need to-," Ciel tried to say, but she already started heading back before he had the chance to finish.

"What could she possible have forgotten?"

"Her Death Scythe, perhaps," Sebastian said.

"You and I both know that a Grim Reaper wouldn't leave something so powerful and important behind. She didn't bring anything with her on the train, so what she could she possibly have forgotten?"

"Ah, this really brings back memories! This was just like what Mum used to make when we were kids. I say, that was quite a fuss back there, wasn't it," Abberline said, trying to have a conversation with Ciel.

"And who's fault is that," he asked rhetorically. "At any rate, Sir Arthur will call you on the carpet for dining with me."

"Pish posh; I've wanted to get better acquainted with you. You see, my twin brother talked so much about you. Yes, I wish he could have tasted this."

However, the duo noticed that another passenger has come to the dining cart, but instead of ordering something, he just pulled out his mobile tea set and started making tea. He was wearing a trench coat and a top hat, but it was clear that he was of noble worth due to his tuxedo. Sebastian eyes the man with suspicion and the man did the same with his golden eyes and spectacles. "What is it," Ciel asked.

"Nothing, young master," he said. However, Lilliana returned and was on her way back to sit with Ciel and Sebastian, but before she could reach them, the train made a sharp turn, causing her to fall, but out of all the places to fall, she landed on the man's lap. However, she recognized the man too and quickly got off his lap. The man tried to grab her and push her to sit down, but lucky for her, Sebastian was there to help her. "I apologize for her fall, sir, but she belongs with us," he said rather sternly, making the man scowl. As the two of them returned to their young master, he continued with, "Should we leave, young master."

"I suppose," Ciel said as he got up and started heading back to their lounge car.

"Wait, Ciel! If you don't take a rest after meals, you'll ruin your stomach," Abberline said with a mouthful of food before he started to choke.

As soon as they were away from earshot anyone, Lilliana said, "I must say, there are quite a few suspicious character on this train."

"Yes; a priest with a tattoo, a sham archeologist, a surly Japanese man, a man with a frenzy over timetables. They are all too blantantly suspicious."

"And don't forget there is an assassin onboard as well," Sebastian said, but was bumped by a passanfer trying to squeeze pass them, however, he was trying to hide his face from them with his hat, but they wouldn't help but see the injuries on his hand; the same ones that resulted in his hand being squished earlier.

Ciel grabbed him and said, "You're the porter from the station. What are you doing on this train dressed like a traveler?" However, instead of an answer, the porter started running for his life. "He's the kidnapper!" They both ran toward him, hoping to catch him before he did anything drastic, but he seemed to fast for him, or really, Ciel, but the two deities had to follow him. Eventually, they reached him, but he had already pulled the latch that held the two train cars together to lose them. "Don't let him get away, Sebastian," Ciel ordered.

"Very well," he said as he jumped to the entrance of the car with ease.

Lilliana was about to follow him, but Ciel stopped her, saying, "I need you to protect me." She was not used to this. Last year, he trusted Grell more than her to protect her. She was so glad he lost his memories.

"Of course, my lord," she said as the two of them ran back inside the train to figure out where the child hostage was. However, they had to run into someone: Abberline.

"Ciel, what are you two doing in such a hurry," he asked.

"There is no time, but I have to go to the goods wagon," he responded as they started running that direction.

"What do you mean you're going to the goods wagon?"

"We can leave the kidnapper to Sebastian. What's left is the child. The only piece of luggage big enough to hide a child is that mummy's coffin," Lilliana said.

"What," the archeologist said in disbelief, but before anyone could say anything else, they heard Abberline falls to his knees in agonizing pain.

"What happened?"

"My stomach . . . it hurts! This isn't right! I know I rested enough after I ate," Abberline said, but they could also hear the old woman in agonizing pain too.

"You don't suppose it's cholera, do you? Stay away," a passenger said, terrifying the rest of the people around them.

"How dare you bastards treat my wife that way," the old man said.

"Did you eat one of those rice balls," Ciel asked Abbelrine, who was still on the floor in pain.

"It was delicious," he said almost with no regret, but it was clear he was full of it.

"Lilliana, I want you to stay with these two until they get better," Ciel said as he started to run off by himself.

"Wait, young master, I thought you said you wanted me to protect you," she said in confusion.

"I'll be fine. The kidnapper is being taken care of and the only thing left is to find the child."

"They aren't going to die, you know," she said.

"Still, I want you to stay here with them. Once they seem healthy enough, you can come find me," Ciel said as he left her side, making her sigh in dissapoitnment.

"Do I have to remind him that there is an assassin on board? Nah," she said as she helped Abberline to a seat, away from the floor where he could easily get trampled. She made sure that the two victims were "all right", or as much as they could be in a situation like this, but she didn't have stay for long as Sbeastian ran into the car, looking for Ciel.

"Where is our young master," he asked as he looked around for him.

"I don't even get a 'hello Lilliana'," she teased, but answered, "He went to the goods wagon to save the child."

"I-I have an announcement to make! The points have just been changed and we're now bound for a different destination," the conductor said frantically as he entered the car. "We'll be passing over a bridge no longer in use. It won't be able to bear the weight of this train and, therefore, our final stop . . . will most likely be Heaven!" Everyone screamed in horror in fear for their lives at the news and started to panic.

"Then we'd better stop the train fast," a voice said from the other side of the car, but not just any voice; it was the assassin and in his arms, held hostage by a knife, was Ciel.

"A hostage again, young master? I do believe you enjoy being captured," Sebastian teased, which made Ciel scowl at his comment.

"So, it was you then: Bloodbath Johnny," the priest said as he looked at the assassin in the face.

"Well, if it isn't Jackknife Heyward. You ought to know what'll happen to the kid if you don't stop the train."

"I told he the priest was up to no good," Lilliana said, more happy than angry at the fact that she was right, but not by much difference.

"I would love to stop it myself, but I'm afraid there is a bomb onboard that will explode if we stop," Sebastian said.

"N-Not to mention we have a cholera outbreak in this carriage. You may already be infected," Abberline said, trying to scare the assassin.

"You're saying that a train with a bomb onboard is headed for a run-down bridge and there's cholera," the assassin said for clarification. He couldn't believe his bad luck with this train.

"It's certainly a full-course menu of crises," Lilliana said.

"Enough of this farce. Sebastian and Lilliana, hurry up and do something about this. That's an order," Ciel said in a calm tone. Despite being held hostage, he wasn't afraid. After all, a demon and a Grim Reaper were on his side.

"Yes, my lord," they said in unison.

"Forget it! To hell with your cholera and bombs! I'm getting out of here," the assassin yelled before leaving the car. Sebastian and Lilliana tried following him, but Abberline stopped them yet again.

"Not so fast! This is too much for an ordinary butler and maid to handle. At times like these, we get assistance from various professionals who just happen to be onboard. We'll all band together to take a stand against evil!"

"What wishful thinking," Lilliana said under breath.

"Not necessarily," the priest said before unbuttoning his shirt. "I used to be in the killing business myself, but after he killed someone precious to me, I went straight and became a priest. As the Holy Book tells us, 'Ye are your own enemies'." He removed his shirt to reveal the large tattoos he had on him from his assassin days. "It's time to settle the score, but right now, I don't have a weapon to face with."

"Use this," the old man as he took off the cloth around his prized possession to reveal a katana. Much to Lilliana's surprise, it looked eerily close to Katia's, but that was a Death Scythe, not a real katana. "This is the family treasure passed down for generations: the Zantomaru! I brought it here to give it to my son, but I'm sure this katana would be happier being useful here."

"In that case, leave the bomb to me," the archeologist said. "I've used time bombs in my excavations. They generally have two wires: a black one and a red one, but one is a dummy. If you cut there right one, you can disable it, but if you pick the wrong one, boom! Still, do we have enough time to find the bomb?"

"We should be fine," the man obsessed with timetables said. "This pict up ahead is crucial. Change the point and enter the High Peak Railway and if we change the next point too, we can gain twenty whole minutes of extra time!" All the passengers cheered at the good news and felt safer than they did a few minutes ago.

"Brilliant! We'll all join forces and find our way out of this," Abberline said, as if preparing men for a battle.

However, Sebastian said, "I do appreciate the thought, but we can handle this ourselves." The passengers looked at them with confusion, but they soon saw the him and Lilliana manage to not only climb out of a train window, but manage to swing themselves to the top of the train, a skill impossible for humans. Eventually, the two of them reached the Jack and he looked at them with surprise. How the hell did they get up here so fast?

"You two pests are sure stubborn," he said.

"Hand over our young master," Lilliana said as she showed him her Death Scythe and though he looked scared . . . for a second, he saw something from behind them and smiled.

"Sure, you just wait there. I'll be right back," he said before a bridge was closely approaching them. It wasn't hearts tall enough for them, so if they didn't want to get hurt, they would have to duck. However, as soon as it reached their way, Jack yelled as he ducked, "I win!" Lilliana followed suit, but Sebastian didn't and his head collided with the stone bridge, but instead of being found from the train, he managed to stay in the same place and instead damaged the bridge with his head. Eventually, they reached the end and Sebastian passed through without a scratch on his head. Jack looked at him with horror and let go of Ciel.

"Come here, young master," Lilliana said motherly.

"You're a monster," Jack yelled before he was grabbed at the throat by Sebastian.

"Now, then, Mr. Assassin, have a nice trip," he said before throwing him all the way to the first cars of the train. "Next, the bomb." He then proceeded to lift the top of the train off its hinges with just his hands, amazing both Ciel and Lilliana. "Sure, there are only the black and red wire, but there's certainly no need for me to choose one." He then threw the roof in the air, causing a mass explosion in the distance.

"Hey, if there were passengers in that carriage-," Ciel said in worry, but was stopped.

"Not to worry, my lord. That was the roof of the dining car," Lilliana said as she examined the inside of the car. She saw tables and food stations, but no . . . people. However, there was still one more thing to worry about: the train is heading for the run-down bridge. There was only one thing to do. Both deities jumped down from the roof of the train and ran some distance from it. How were they going to stop it? With their hands, of course! Well, she used her Death Scythe to put some pressure off of her hands. The train finally arrived and pushed them back with a force, but they stood their ground as they managed to slow down the train until it finally reached a stop a few feet away from the bridge.

"That was close, but you two managed," Ciel said from the top of the train.

"If we couldn't handle this little full-course menu of crises, then what kind of servants would we be," Lilliana said as Sebastian helped Ciel off the train. Eventually, all the passengers disembarked the train and started chatting amongst themselves on the grassy fields, either about what the hell just happened, cholera, or just trivial things. Even Abberline managed to get himself off the train. He was still in pain, but enough to walk around.

"That was magnificent, you two," he said as he approached them.

"Oh, that's right. What about the cholera? The whole train should be infected by now," Ciel said.

"Not to worry. Those who stomachs ail them should take this," Sebastian said as he pulled out a vial of a liquid out of his pocket.

"I don't recall there being an instant cure for cholera."

"Oh, no, this is just a digestive tonic. Japanese tradition has always held certain food pairings to be harmful, such as watermelon and tempura, and eel and picketed plum. I imagine his stomachache is from eating a rice ball with pickled plum deplore Gavin been served eel pie in the dining car."

Lilliana gave the tonic to Abberline and the old woman for them to drink and sure enough, they became healthy in an instant. Abberline was the most excited about being cured and said to her, "You and that butler are no ordinary servants."

"No, we are merely one hell of pair," she said as she looked back at Sebastian. He gave her a smile and she returned one to him.

* * *

After a few hours, another train arrived to their location and gathered the passengers to take them to their destinations. Everyone seemed to be happy about how things resolved, but while Ciel and Sebastian began to board the new train, Lilliana couldn't help, but notice one individual in particular. He approached her and handed her a napkin with something spilled on it. "Here, my tea spilled in all the commotion. A true butler and maid should have been able to sort that out without the slightest rocking of the train."

"My apologies, but I have no control over Sebastian's actions. After all, we are not on the best terms, are we, Claude," she asked before noticing blood on his cheek. "Oh dear, you seem to have took some damage as well."

He scoffed, but he presented her with an envelope. She was hesitant to take it, but he said, "If you wish to interrogate my master, march into the Trancy mansion right through the front gate. You want to help Ciel Phantomhive and take his revenge, don't you? Or is it for Michealis' sake?" She thought about it, but then accepted the envelope. Before leaving her side, he then said, "By the way, you dropped this on my lap," he said as he threw her ring to her. She carefully caught it and placed it on her finger with care. After all, this is the only thing she has left of Bastille. "Be careful of the commonly you keep."

"What are you talking about," she asked angrily.

"That isn't just a ring, Lily. That stone is demonic and you and I both know it, but who's stone it is should scare you."

"It's a ring that my brother picked out," she said, insulted by what he's been saying.

"A blue demonic stone is the work of Lucille Mirasuka, the daughter of Lucifer. She is a conniving woman who plays with people's emotions for her own desires."

"Unlike you, I know her personally and I can tell you that she's not like that."

"I'm not sure how you know her personally, but watch what happens when you become her latest pawn in her game. Be careful."


	5. One Satisfying Morning

_"So, Ms. Mirasuka-,"_

 _"You don't have to be formal to me. Call me Lucy."_

 _"All right . . . Lucy. So, where is my sister?"_

 _"There she is."_

 _"Th-That's not her."_

 _"It is, I assure you."_

 _"She has black hair! My sister had blonde hair."_

 _"I'm telling you that she is, in fact, your sister."_

 _"Then why does she look like that?"_

 _"Well, she was reborn after she committed suicide. She is a new person, free from the torments of her human life."_

 _"Wait, what do you mean, 'free from the torments of her human life'?"_

 _"Oh, that's right; you're a rookie demon, so you don't know the ropes around here, so let me tell you. When people die, they have three option: get collected, become an angel if their soul is 'pure' enough, or become one of us."_

 _"But I didn't die and I became a demon."_

 _"Technically, you did when you fulfilled your contract. If you didn't kill that demon, your soul would have been devoured, but regardless, there is one other option for people who commit suicide. When they die, they become gods of their own lives and with that, they become new beings: Gods of Death, or more commonly known: Grim Reapers."_

 _"The Grim Reaper exists? I thought it was just a myth."_

 _"(Chuckle) You're a demon and you question the existence of Grim Reapers?"_

 _"Good point."_

 _"There are actually more than one Grim Reapers in this world, unfortunately. I mean, they are not as bad as angels, but they are just as annoying. Grim Reapers' appearances change and they have no memory of their past. She is a new slate and . . . this_ is _a rare opportunity. Usually, those infernal creatures will hurry up and retrieve their recruits, but it's rare that we find one first."_

 _"What does that mean?"_

 _"That means, if we're careful, we might find a way for her to become a honorary demon."_

 _"Hello? Who's there? Why can't I see anything."_

 _"Oh, that's right, Grim Reapers are blind as shit without their famous spectacles. Here, let me help you with that." (Snap)_

 _"Oh, I can see. Thank you."_

 _"Lily, are you all right?"_

 _"Who's that?"_

 _"That's your name, dearie. I'm Lucille Mirasuka, but you can call me Lucy and this man over here is your brother, Bastille."_

 _"My . . . brother?"_

 _"Yes and I promise to be there with you no matter what. You'll never be alone ever again."_

 _"Again? What do you mean?"_

 _"It doesn't matter now. Just know that I will always be there for you."_

* * *

Lilliana slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was a bit blurry, but only because she needed to wake up more. The room was still dark since it was still early morning outside. No sunlight filled the room. She stirred in her bed a bit before she realized how cold the bed was. Too cold. She remembered being wrapped in warmth last night and for some reason, it was gone. As her vision became less blurry, she saw that there was a single candle on the other side of the bed. Did they leave it on all night? No, it would have been completely melted by now. Wait, she could actually _see_ the candle. There wasn't another body blocking her vision. Now she remembered something. Where the hell was Sebastian?

"You're awake, I see," his voice said. She looked around and saw that he was buttoning up his collar shirt. "Did I make too much noise?"

"No, you didn't. I just . . . had a weird dream," she said softly.

"About what, may I ask?"

"Well, now that I think about, I can't remember it."

"Dreams do have a funny way of disappearing, don't they," he said as he approached her and gave her a morning kiss. "I wasn't too rough last night, was I?"

"My, someone is being a little cocky in his abilities," she said teasingly as she sat up. He could see the blue nightgown that she put on right after they had sex and knew underneath that, there was nothing else but her bare skin. For a while now, they have shared a room, including the same bed. However, despite spending every night together, her Reapers duties always got in the way. When she would come home in the late hours, she was too tired to do anything, so when they did spend time with each other, they would make sure it was special.

"Were you not satisfied," he asked in confusion.

"No, you got the job done."

"I _simply_ got the job done? My, if I couldn't satisfy a woman, then what kind of butler would I be? However, I'm afraid I have work to do this morning."

"What time is it?"

"Three in the morning, my dear."

"You wake up Ciel at eight o'clock. What could you possibly be doing for five hours?"

"I need to prepare breakfast and clean the manor before those bumbling idiots make a mess of things."

"It takes you maybe two hours at most to clean this whole manor and make breakfast. You have enough time to show me your true powers," she said perversely.

He chuckled, but said, "As much as I would love to, I'm afraid I have work to do. Please get some rest in the meantime."

"Oh, you're no fun," she said as she rested her head on her pillow. With those words in mind, he left the room and closed the door behind him. If satisfaction is what she wants, then satisfaction is what she's going to get and then some.

* * *

 _"Lucille, what the hell are you doing bringing me to the human world? You know how much I hate being here."_

 _"I know, Father, but I need to show you something. It's going to change everything."_

 _"Like you said last time when you showed me your soul magic? How is that going, by the way?"_

 _"It's gotten better since I last showed you. Bastille, bring her out."_

 _"What the fuck, Lucille! That's a fucking Grim Reaper!"_

 _"Yes, but those bastards haven't claimed her yet. In fact, we beat them, a very rare occasion."_

 _"What are you getting at?"_

 _"I'm saying that this creature has a chance to become . . . a demon, that is, if you find her worthy."_

 _"Hm (footsteps). What is your name?"_

 _"Lily."_

 _"Lily, what a simple name, but beautiful in its own merit. You're Bastille's sister?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Well, you already have my attention, but I can't just turn anyone into a demon. They must prove themselves. Bastille killed the demon that fulfilled his contract, corrupting his soul to damnation, but all she did was kill herself. If she wants to become a demon like her brother, then she has to learn how to become one. Lucky for you, I will teach you personally, that is, if you're willing to learn."_

* * *

Lilliana opened her eyes, but noticed something was off. The room was still dark. Did she not sleep for that long? However, her blanket wasn't over her. In fact, she was on her side in the middle of the bed. She tried getting up, but when she did, she noticed that her hands were tied behind her back. She tried pulling forward, but there was a rope tying her to the bed. "What the fuck," she tried to say, but there was a makeshift gag in her mouth made of cloth. She tried to remove it, but forgot that her hands were tied behind her back. Though, it gets stranger.

Although she remembered wearing a nightgown before falling asleep, she was now wearing a tight-fitting corset and panties. The corset was red with black decorative designs, but it was tight around her and it made it hard for her to breathe, especially since she had the gag in her mouth. How in the hell could women wear these all the time? Matter of fact, who the fuck did this to her? Her panties were also red with black designs. It reminded her of what Grell would wear. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, she never saw him in his underwear. Katia did. Apparently, before she was forced into rehabilitation, she was living with Grell at his house and it seemed impossible for two women(ish) to not see each other undress. For some reason, Katia told her what kind of underwear he would wear, which didn't surprise Lilliana, but she still didn't want to know in the first place. Regardless, who the hell dressed her in this outfit?

Suddenly, the door opened and in came that devilish butler in his usual tuxedo and smirk. "I see you couldn't stay asleep for long."

"What the hell is going on," she tried to say through the gag, but her words were muffled.

"I couldn't quite hear you, my lady. Are you surprised by the state you are currently in," he asked. She had no choice, but to nod. "I remember you saying that I simply got the job done and wanted me to show you my true powers."

"I didn't think you would do this," she tried to say. He chuckled at the sight and walked toward the bed, making sure that he was behind her. She tried to turn around, but he pushed her face away so that she couldn't see him.

"You know, lingerie is quite fetching on women and I love undressing them to see what patterns and colors their lingerie reveals. Though, you, my lady, never seem to wear any. Why is that?"

"I don't see the point," she tried to say. "Wait, where the hell did you find this?"

"While you were asleep, I managed to find a store selling lingerie and picked out something that I would love to see on you. It does look sexy on you, doesn't it," he said as he licked the exposed area of her back, from the corset to the nape of her neck, making her arch her back in pleasure. Once he reached her neck, he began to kiss the sides, making her moan a bit before he started to bite it. However, she was one of the few who enjoyed being bitten during sex, especially when blood dripped down her neck. Not too much though; he wasn't a vampire, but he sure did like the taste of her blood. As she started to breathe harder, he noticed that she was having a difficult time breathing and said, "Oh dear, it seems that I have made the corset a little too tight. Would you like me to take this off?"

"Please," she said and even though she had the gag in her mouth, he could tell what she said.

"I thought so, my lady," he said as he slowly pulled the strings out of the holes. As the corset became looser, Lilliana was able to breath better, but it was short lived as he started to lick her spine area, making her not only arch her back, but close her eyes and try to bite her bottom lip, even though she was only biting into cloth. Soon, he finished and placed the corset to the side. Before he did anything else, he cut the rope tying her to the bed with his sharp fangs, allowing him to turn her around and show him her blood red eyes and exposed breasts. "No matter how many times I see these, I never grow weary of them," he said as he stared into her eyes a bit. That red color always excited him. He never knew why, but the only conclusion he could come to was that it was unique for both Grim Reapers and demons. No one really had that exact shade of red in their eyes, especially at times like these. "And these breast are always succulent as ever," he said before laying her on her back on the bed and putting his lips to the tender skin of one of her breasts. She did try to resist the pleasure; she knew that he was trying to prove a point thanks to her big mouth, but she wanted to act like it didn't affect her though it was clear as day that she enjoyed it. He then proceeded to suck on her nipple while he started to fondle her other breast. Now, she couldn't pretend. She was breathing fast and her eyes were almost rolling inside her head.

"Dammit, Sebastian," she said in between breaths.

"What? Are you not feeling enough pleasure? Your body seems to be disagreeing with you," he said as he licked her hard nipple with his tongue. The saliva gave her a chill as she could feel the cold air hit her wet skin. "Or do you want me to pleasure you somewhere else?" She looked at him with curious eyes as he began to kiss her stomach and kept going further down until he reached her panties. Though, instead of taking the red fabric off, he instead inserted his fingers underneath them and into her, causing her to moan through the gag. "I want you to beg me to fuck you," he said as he started to thrust his two long fingers in her. She couldn't help, but pant like a dog at the pleasure given to her. Though it was nothing like the real thing, he managed to pleasure her the same. The gag muffled her moans and pants, but he knew she was enjoying herself and his wet fingers were proof. She liked it a lot than she would like to admit it.

"Fuck! Fuck! Oh my fucking Lucifer, Sebastian!"

"You better not think of any other men than me," he teased as he thrusted his fingers harder into her, but at this point, even the panties were getting wet. She even started to move her hips with the rhythm of his fingers so she could maximize the pleasure. After all, she was so close to cumming. "Don't cum quite yet," he said as he pulled his fingers out of her. She looked at him with disappointment in her eyes, but she immediately closed them as he pulled down the panties and she felt his mouth on her pussy, licking it and inserting his tongue inside her.

"Shit!" He could hear her moan even louder, but was too distracted by the taste and smell of her pussy to care. He didn't do this much, but he could clearly see that she was enjoying this now more than she ever did. "Sebastian!"

"What, my dear," he said as he stopped to look at her.

"Fuck me!"

"What was that," he said as he loosened the knot holding the cloth gag, letting her mouth free.

"I said 'fuck me'," Lilliana said clearly.

Sebastian chucked as he said, "You are an impatient woman, aren't you?"

"Stop teasing me and fuck me already," she said.

"Oh, all right, but I need your mouth for a bit," he said as he finally started to remove his tailcoat and vest. He made sure that he was painfully taking his sweet time to make her beg for him when he was done, which was working.

"Hurry up please!"

"No, you need to learn patience. There is a reason why I tied your arms behind your back. If they were free, you would rip my clothes off." She pouted, but watched as he removed the buttons on his collar shirt painfully slow until all was left was his trouser. He then unzipped them so that his penis was hanging out of the zipper area. He got on his knees on the bed as he yanked her hair so that she would get closer to his member. "You know what I want." She nodded as she closed her eyes and inserted his penis in her mouth. "Ugh, yeah, that's the spot," he said in between heavy breaths. She began to move her head back and forth and he couldn't help, but moan in pleasure. Now it was his turn to be on the receiving end and she didn't want to disappoint. Thought, his penis was too big to fit in her entire mouth . . . she had to try. As she moved closer to him, she tried sucking as much of him as she could, even if her gag reflexes were trying to stop her. She could feel his erect penis in the back of her throat, but she did it all for his pleasure. It was clearly working since he was now moaning loudly. "Fuck! You're good."

"I know I am," she said with his dick in her mouth and continued to suck more and more. Eventually, he was close and she knew it. This time, she moved her head faster, not deeper, but it still got the job done. Soon, his white semen filled her mouth and the back of her throat and she had no choice, but to swallow it all.

"Fuck, I forget that you are rather skilled at that," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"I only reciprocated the pleasure you gave me."

"Well, it's not over," he said as he pushed her back on the bed, this time with her stomach and face touching the bed, but her ass in the air. "I think it's time for me to be inside of you."

"Oh, please," she said. With those words, he slowly inserted his penis inside her . . . but in the wrong hole. "SeBAStian," she said with a bit of worry as she felt something big enter her asshole.

"You wanted satisfaction, correct? I'm sure your lovely vagina has had enough pleasure, but this hole has been neglected all this time and I thought it was finally time to show you what you were missing," he said as he inserted all of himself inside her ass. She started to scream loudly, but he quickly put the gag over her mouth. "We don't want to wake up the entire manor with your screaming." Once he was ready, he started to slowly thrust in her and though it was slow, she was already moaning and panting loudly. This was always a sensitive hole for women since they don't do much with it, especially during sexual intercourse, so if a woman was bored of the usual vaginal sex, Sebastain knew what to do to spice things up.

"Seb . . . Sebas . . . Harder," she said through the gag. She never felt this much pleasure before. True, it hurt when he first put his big dick in her and stretched her ass, but she quickly got used to the feeling and let him just take over. Soon, his pace fastened and she was practically yelling at the increase of pleasure.

"Are you close, Lilliana?"

"Harder," she yelled.

"I'll take that as a yes. How close?"

"Very!"

"Oh, I wonder what would happen if I did this," he said as he inserted his fingers back into her pussy, this time, making her scream. Thank Lucifer for that gag or else she would have definitely woke up the manor. She tried fighting it, but she couldn't help the fact that she wanted to cum. This was all so fucking good to her. Very fucking good! In fact, it's the best sex they ever had!

"Lilliana, when you cum, I want you to scream as loud as you can into a pillow. I want to hear how well I fucked you," he said with a smirk. She did as she was told and put her face into a pillow and just let it all out. Her whole lower body spasmed as she came. Her scream, even covered with both a pillow and gag, was pretty loud that anyone walking by their room could hear her. Sebastian felt her tense up in both her pussy and ass as she came and he released every drop of his seed within her. He pulled out of her and just laid on top of her in exhaustion. She better have been satisfied. If that didn't do it for her, then he didn't know what to do. Maybe a threesome, but who would be willing to fuck her? Katia? Nah. Grell? Fuck no. William? . . . Maybe.

They caught their breaths as they both noticed that the sun finally came out of hiding and started to illuminate the room. "Just in time," she said in between breaths.

"So, how was that," he asked as he finally released her bindings and she was allowed to move. He then released the gag from her mouth and tossed it to the side.

"Sebastian, I have to be honest with you . . . that was the best sex I have ever had! You really proved me wrong."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wouldn't know how to top that."

"If you just keep doing that, you'll be able to satisfy me every time," she said as she pushed him onto his back and put her head on his chest. "But next time, I want to ride you as well. It felt so fucking good."

"Will you be able to work today?"

"I'm gonna try, but if my ass hurts, then I'll just say I feel sick. Now, even with a sore ass, I can't miss my Reaper duties, so let's see how this . . . plays out," she said as her exhaustion finally caught up with her and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _"Let my sister go!"_

 _"She is a Grim Reaper and must act like one. Having her in your presence would further corrupt her."_

 _"How dare you say that to me! I vowed to protect her!"_

 _"How could a demon possibly protect a Grim Reaper without corrupting her? She has already devoured souls and her eyes are that unholy red color. We must rehabilitate her to obey Reaper Law."_

 _"You know guys, it's quite pathetic to see a demon, especially one high in the ranks, fight for this Grim Reaper. He's even willing to risk his life for this . . . abomination. This must be embarrassing for Lucifer to see."_

 _"Don't you dare hurt my little sister!"_

 _"Oh don't worry, we won't. We are going to make her see the error of her ways and transform her into a full-fledged Grim Reaper, though at this state, we can't even call her that. She is more like . . . a Rogue Reaper."_

* * *

 _ **Ok, when I started this chapter, I meant it to be a little smut while proceeding to the next episode, but I got a little carried away. I have been reading a little too much of a SebastianxGrellxWilliam fanfic and it gave me an idea: buttsex! Yeah, so that's how this chapter came to be, but I'm not ashamed. Plus, I might as well add a bit of backstory in between all that delicious smut. Do you like it? Also, can you suggest anymore SebbyxGrellxWill fanfics? I'm kinda hooked.**_


	6. A Beacon of Surprise

"Ball, ball, ball; tonight we are going to a costume ball," Finnian said cheerfully as the servants, excluding Lilliana and Sebastian, were driving the horse-drawn carriage to the Trancy Estate. The three of them were excited for this trip since for once, they were allowed to accompany the young master and enjoy the festivities.

"I'm looking forward to it, yes," Mey-Rin said

"Yeah, he's even letting us servants come as long as we wear costumes. Now, that's a nice fellow for you. Hmm . . . what was his name again," Baldroy asked. "Tr . . . Trumpet?"

"It's Lord Trancy," Mey-Rin corrected.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana were discussing their plan on investigating the possible threat. "Alois Trancy . . . you say that the previous Earl Trancy died three years ago," Ciel asked.

"Yes," Lilliana said.

"Three years ago . . . ," he said, as if he was remembering something, but didn't say anything about it to them. After all, they knew what he was thinking: the fire that killed his parents and the total humiliation and torture he suffered afterwards. "Alois went missing after he was kidnapped when he was very young, but he came back just before his father passed away along with a mysterious butler. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, my lord. The story seems familiar somehow," Sebastian said.

"It's a common one," Ciel said. Eventually, the carriage arrived to the all-too-familiar Trancy Estate. The servants admired the huge and elegant manor, but the trio had no time to admire it. They had other things to worry about.

"Right, then. We'll be coming in the back way. See you later, young master. Look forward to seeing our costumes," Finny said as they drove off to park the carriage. The trio walked up to the estate, taking one final look before entering. For some reason, though, Ciel felt as if . . . he was here before. That was impossible since he has never been here, but the feeling was still there. Sebastian was about to knock on the door, but before he could, the door opened and it soon revealed that stoic butler.

"The Right Honorable Ciel, Earl Phantomhive, I presume? We've been expecting you," Claude said with a bow as he greeted them at the door. "I am Claude Faustus, the butler of this house. Please, come in." Everyone didn't hide the fact that they were displeased to see each other . . . again, but they held their composure as they entered the estate, well, almost. Sebastian stopped at the doorway as he noticed something that should have been taken care of already. Claude looked up to what he was looking at and saw a spider web with a large spider on it. "Ah, yes. The Trancy coat of arms bears a spider, so it's our tradition not to kill them."

"That makes sense. If you try to force it away, it will cling to you for life," Sebastian said with a smirk. The three of them entered the manor, but Ciel seemed to be light-headed as he started to breathe harder and looked like he was going to faint at any moment.

"Young master, what's the matter," Lilliana said as he leaned against her for balance.

"It's nothing," Ciel said in his usual cold tone. He never liked being treated like a child, unless it was absolutely necessary. "Might my butler and maid come along?"

"Of course, but my master is currently away on business. He'll return in time for the ball," Claude said as he closed the door behind them. "I've laid out tea in the drawing room. Everyone else is already there."

"'Everybody else'," Ciel asked, but was left unanswered. The walked to the drawing room and were soon bombarded by two arms that were suffocating the poor young lord.

"Ciel," Lizzie said as she hugged her fiancé tightly.

"Elizabeth?!"

"Honestly! It's Lizzie!"

"You're late, my lord," Lau said with Ran-Mao on his lap. Seriously, how are they siblings? They look more like lovers!

"So you two were invited as well? Which means . . . ," Ciel said as he looked around.

"What is it," Lizzie asked with concern.

"Nothing, but I thought Madame Red might be here too, but I don't see her. I thought she wouldn't miss this for the world," he said, causing the people to start tearing up or give him curious looks.

"Oh, well, you see-," Lau tried to say, but someone distracted him before he could continue.

"Ciel," an Indian voice yelled. Soon, Ciel was wrapped in another person's arms, but they were those of a young man. Soma hugged his friend dearly as he started crying his eyes out. After all, he did view him as a little brother.

"Who in blazes are you?! Let me go," Ciel yelled, hoping someone would help him.

"Who am I?! You mean you . . . you . . . WAH," Soma cried as he held the young master close to him.

"Is that Prince Soma," Elizabeth asked.

"Yes and he'll ruin everything if he keeps acting like that," Lilliana said.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine as long as he has Agni," an American voice said. They all turned and saw that blonde haired Reaper, which shocked Lilliana. "Hi, Lily," she said with a smile.

"Katia?! Who, what, when, how," she said in succession. Out of all the people to show up, she was surprised to see her the most.

"I got an invitation. I didn't think you would be here too," she said as she hugged her. "We'll have a lot of fun tonight!"

"We mustn't do that, your Highness," Agni said as he rushed to help Ciel while also making sure that he didn't catch on to what was going on.

"No! Ciel," Soma kept yelling as if he were a little child. He looked so immature right now.

"Who is that man," Ciel asked.

"My apologies, my lord; this is the 26th child of the King of Bengal, Prince Soma Asman Kadar," Agni introduced.

"And why would a 'prince' start weeping the moment he saw me?"

"Ciel, I-I finally get to see you, but you're . . ."

"His Highness is deeply moved at meeting the founder of the Funtom Company. Funtom toys are considered very rare and wonderful where we come from."

"Our memories will never fade," Soma blurted.

"Those toys hold precious memories of the prince and his friend," Agni improvised.

"No matter what happens, the friendship between the two of us will-,"

"That friend was very dear to His Highness, but he . . . he . . . Oh, it's heartbreaking," Agni said as he sold his act by shedding a few tears. Soon, he hugged his dear prince and balled his out eyes on his shoulders.

"Agni," Soma said as he did the same. The two continued to cry for a while, making the people around them uncomfortable.

"I fear we can do nothing with them. Young master, let's retire to our rooms. We must prepare for the ball," Sebastian said.

Once they were a safe distance away from the group, Ciel ordered, "Search this mansion from top to bottom, understood?"

"Very good."

"I hope he has forgotten about me," Katia said as she held on to Lilliana's arm. "I had to go through a lot for you, you know."

"And I will pay you back someday," she said as she tried to shake her off her arm. "But now is not a good time to show your affection," she whispered in her ear.

"Oh, sorry," she said as she let go of her arm. "But maybe you can make it up to me with a dance tonight?"

* * *

It was finally time for the ball and more guests arrived. Most were strangers, but it was clear that they were people of wealth, whether through a business or career. People wore a variety of costumes, ranging from pirates to gods. Speaking of pirate, can you guess what costume Ciel wore? I'll give you a hint: the eye patch matches the costume.

"Ciel, you should wear one of these too," Lizzie said in her Indian outfit with a brown feather in her hand. For a girl who loved wearing lavish and beautiful dresses, this costume seemed . . . in a lack of a better term, plain. It was cute for her, but it was in a brown color that seemed out of her usual style. However, she seemed to like it, so everyone else just played along.

"Fine," Ciel said reluctantly in his pirate costume. Lizzie placed the feather in his hat and giggled.

"Now we match," she said with glee. Soon, Prince Soma walked by, but Lizzie was unimpressed by his costume. "You're not wearing a costume, Your Highness?"

"This is my Sherlock Holmes costume," he said as he "smoked" his pipe.

"Young master," the servants called. They all looked in the direction of the voices and saw the servants in their costumes. "We're the Three Musketeers of Chinese monster!"

"We have a costume made for you too, young master," Finny said as they all showed him the costume, including a bald cap.

"Rejected," he said rather coldly, making them very disappointed.

"At least wear this part!"

In another corner of the room, Sebastian watched the little scene before him. He wasn't wearing a costume, but since he is Ciel's butler, he had to look formal all the time. However, he was curious to see what Lilliana would wear. When she first told them about the invitation, she made it clear that she didn't want to wear a costume since she would most likely wear a dress, but Ciel ordered her to wear a costume. Though, she was known to find loopholes in his orders, so he was curious to see what she would wear. "So, you're allowed to not wear a costume, but I was ordered to. I don't think that's fair," Lilliana said. He turned and saw that she was wearing a costume . . . actually fitting her character. She was wearing dark slacks, like she would with her Reaper outfit, but was wearing a red and blouse that revealed her shoulders and cleavage. She was wearing a velvet black cape and her makeup was dark with very red lipstick. Her hair was curly compared to her usual straight hair, but one thing was the same: the hair covering her right eye.

"What are you suppose to be," he asked.

"I'm a vampire," she said coyly. "Minus the fangs, though."

"Don't you think you are revealing too much skin?"

" _I'm_ revealing too much skin? Have you seen what everyone else is wearing," she said as she pointed at Paula and Ran-Mao. Paula was wearing an Egyptian goddess costume, but she was showing a lot of her legs, stomach, and cleavage, but no one seemed to bat an eye. Also, Ran-Mao, no surprise, was wearing a very revealing kimono that was barely hiding her body at all. There was more than just cleavage showing, but not enough to expose nipples.

"There is a difference between them showing off skin . . . and you showing off skin," he teased. She chuckled at the comment, but they soon saw Katia heading their way in her costume . . . which looked awfully familiar to them.

"You look beautiful, Lilliana," she said in her red dress . . . very red dress.

"Um, is that . . . Grell's costume from Hamlet," Lilliana asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm Ophelia," Katia said as she twirled around in the dress. "She let me borrow it after I told her about the ball. It was either this or something from Undertaker. He may be a colorful character, but I can't say the same for his clothes."

"And you didn't buy a costume because . . . ,"

"I tried to buy one, but nothing caught my eye. Besides, I like this dress."

"How were you able to fit in that dress?"

"Oh, Grell wanted to look as feminine as possible, so she wore a corset and padding on her chest. She only asks that I don't rip it."

"Huh, you learn something new every day. I can't tell what's more embarrassing: the fact that he wore a corset to fit a dress or the fact that we both fit the same size dress." She looked at Sebastian, who seemed to be either embarrassed or disgusted by the conversation they have been discussing and left their side quickly. "Oh, that's right. He has a corset and lingerie fetish."

"How do I look," she asked in a worried tone. If she didn't look beautiful in front of her love, then she would have been very embarrassed, especially after she learned that it was Grell's dress.

"Honestly . . . you look very pretty; probably more beautiful than Grell."

"Oh, you," Katia said as she hugged Lilliana, but instead of feeling a soft blouse, she felt something hard around her stomach. She pulled back quickly, but luckily for Lilliana, the servants were making a mess of things and distracted her. Apparently, they wanted to help out with the party, but it didn't work out so well. Baldroy tried to cut some meat, but accidently chopped the table in two with a very large sword, Finny tried to carry a heavy box of wine, but dropped it and spilled on the very long rug, and Mey-Rin tried to move a tall pile of dishes and nearly dropped them, but the triplets were there to clean everything up in a jiffy. Everyone applauded at their quick and very impressive work and even the servants were impressed. They were almost as good as Sebastian.

"Honestly, there's just nothing to be done with you," Soma said to the servants.

"S-Sorry," the servants said in genuine regret.

"My prince, they are done," Agni, dressed as Watson, said as he rejoined the group with a silver tray of freshly-made curry buns in his hand. "I borrowed the house's kitchen to make these."

"Ciel's memory might come back if he eats some of these. That was my though," Soma said.

"Oh, we'll help, too," Finny said.

"We want to show him lots of fun and get him to remember old times, yes," Mey-Rin said.

"Wait, the earl has amnesia? Since when," Lau said, either surprising or annoying the people around him.

"Speaking of him, I wonder where Ciel went," Lizzie said.

"I'll go look for him, my lady," Lilliana said as she walked off to find the young master.

"I'll go too-," Katia said as she tried to follow her, but was stopped by Soma.

"Not so fast, my lady. You didn't think I forgot you, did you? How could I forget a face as beautiful as yours," he said as he put his arm around her.

"I was kind of hoping you did," she said as she tried to get out of his grip.

"May the future princess like a curry bun," Agni said as he tried serving her one, but it was clear she did not want any.

"Let the poor girl go," a voice said. They all looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a large blue dress with a flamboyant hat and long gloves to match. She had long blue hair that almost touched the floor and sapphire blue eyes that seemed to look into their very souls. For some reason, Katia looked entranced at the sight of her. "Can't you see that she is not interested?"

"And who are you," Soma asked.

"Nobody important," she said as she pulled Katia from Soma's arm and take her away.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing," Soma said as he tried following her, but before he knew it, the two seemed to vanish in thin air.

In a secluded hallway, the two women caught their breaths. They could see Soma try to look for them, but he couldn't see them, much to their relief. "Thank you, miss," Katia said.

"A woman as pretty as you should be careful around here. Any man with a lust will happily take the first girl he seems to be a perfect match," the woman said.

"I try, but he doesn't take the hint."

"I can see, but you need to be able to fight back when he does that to you."

"I would, but I'm afraid I might hurt him in the process."

"A little pain might be needed if he keeps acting like this. You can only rely on others for so long."

"I-I didn't catch your name, by the way," Katia said rather nervously. The woman smiled as she took off her hat to reveal her blemish-free face with pearly white skin that complimented her eyes well. The sight took Katia's breath away.

"I'm Lucy. What would your name be?"

"K-K-Katia Vendoa," she said more nervously than she did before. Her beauty seemed to be otherworldly, almost like Lilliana's, but she was arguable . . . more beautiful than her.

"Oh, that's a cute name. It suits you," Lucy said with a smirk.

* * *

"Enough of this farce, Alois Trancy!"

"So you were on to me. What a drag," Alois said as he removed the wig off his head, revealing his short, boy hair.

"I thought if I let you get me alone, you'd make a move," Ciel said. He separated himself from the party after Alois, dressed as a maid, spilled wine on him. After a little game of tag, Ciel managed to follow Alois out in the woods outside of the manor and now, they were alone, for the most part.

"So, you followed me on purpose? But . . . ," Alois said as Claude and the triplets appeared from the shadows of the forest

"I can't have you underestimate me," Ciel said as Sebastian and Lilliana too appeared from the shadows.

"Oh, we just wanted to chat somewhere quiet?"

"What could you possibly want from me enough to hold a costume ball and dress yourself up that way," Ciel asked.

"I want you," Alois said rather frankly.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what I mean, Ciel Phantomhive. If you refuse me, I'll have everyone in there be killed. I've arranged for a little performance and if it begins, everyone dies, including people you care about. See, Lily, I made your job easier, you filthy Reaper," Alois said. The comment could have made her angry, but she was worried about Katia to be angry. Though, Ciel wondered how they knew she was a Grim Reaper. "Well?"

"Do as you like."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course . . . if you can. I have something I'd like to ask you, too."

"What is it? I'll tell you . . . if you bow down and kiss my ass," Alois said as he lifted his butt in the air.

"I wonder which of us will kiss ass in the end."

"Well, aren't you confident," Alois said coyly. "Don't get cocky just because your butler and maid have a bit of talent. My Claude is even more amazing," he said as he stuck out his tongue, revealing the mark of the covenant.

"Yes, I thought you'd have one. You understand our contract, Sebastian. You'll serve me, you'll protect me, and you will not kill me until my goal is achieved."

"I've been your loyal servant ever since that day. I'll grant you any wish you like until the day our contract if fulfilled and I take your soul," Sebastian said.

"Good answer," Lilliana said teasingly.

"Claude, get me Ciel," Alois ordered.

"This is an order, Sebastian and Lilliana: do whatever it takes to protect me. Do not fail me," Ciel said.

"Yes, my lord," the two deities said in union as Lilliana took out her Death Scythe.

"Yes, Your Highness," Claude said.


	7. Bedewed with Blood and Envy

Lilliana was staring at the sea with tears running down her cheek. This was it; the contract would be fulfilled after tonight. These long two years will finally end and she would have to figure out what to do with herself. There would be no real reason to remain a maid since there would be no master to serve. She didn't have anyone to go to during the morning, so she would have to be a full-time Grim Reaper. She couldn't imagine such a life. Plus, she would be . . . alone. There was no one to run to in her times of need and her dear Sebastian . . . he would be gone. She didn't understand why she felt this sad to know he was gone. In all honesty, she felt worse about being separated from Sebastian than losing her brother. How was that possible? She loved her brother so much, but with Sebastian . . . a demon she never even intended to start a relationship with . . . it was different.

However, she heard a rumbling around her and the ground was shaking. She looked behind her and without warning, she saw a ball of light envelope the center of the island. "What the fuck," she yelled as she ran to it, knowing all too well that it was at the same area that Sebastian was about to devour Ciel's soul. Soon, a loud crash engulfed the area and Lilliana had to cover her ears. Soon, pieces of brick and wood were heading for her and she blocked them with her Death Scythe, except for one piece that managed to hit her head hard enough to knock her unconscious.

"Lilliana, are you all right," a voice said. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Sebastian's worried face. "I didn't realize you were in the blast radius. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she said as she slowly got up, but her head started to hurt.

"You're hurt, you should rest . . . ," he said as he noticed the streaks on her face and had a shocked face. "We're you crying about the contract being fulfilled?"

"No, I'm crying about my brother! I won't see him ever again!"

"Did no one tell you? A demon never really dies."

"What do you mean?"

"True, their bodies would die, but their souls are recycled. It's up to Lucifer to decide what he wants to do with them. He can either make them lower class demons or even humans with no memory of their demonic lives. Either way, he isn't dead."

"Seriously," she said with tears forming in her eyes. She then hugged him and just cried on her shoulder. "I'll see him again?"

"Well, I don't know about that," he said. "It's a tricky system with Lucifer. He's unpredictable."

"But he was one of Lucifer's favorites, right? He'll have to show him mercy!"

"I've seen Lucifer send his own children to the human world as humans. I can't say for certain."

She had a disappointed look on her face, but said, "I'm just happy that he's alive, no matter what happens to him," she said, but saw that Ciel was sleeping along a large broken tree branch. "I thought you devoured his soul."

"Well, I would, but our young master . . . is empty," he said as his shadow seemed to be growing with his anger raising. Lilliana knew what was happening; he was demoning. "We will need your services for a little longer."

* * *

The triplets pulled out gardening tools and ran to the trio. They orders were absolute: retrieve Cile Phantomhive at any cost. They tried swinging at Sebastian, who was carrying Ciel in his arms, but Lilliana blocked their attacks with her Death Scythe. However, one of them managed to trap them with a ladder while another one tried to strike them with a large and thick sword. However, before it could even touch them, Sebastian managed to not only free them from the ladder, but also knock the triplets out and break everything in half. "I see you are all quite skilled," Sebastian said.

"Let's not get cocky," Lilliana said as the two started to run away from the triplets. She blocked their attacks with their broken weapons and made sure not even a scratch landed on their dear young master. However, Sebastian was feeling . . . sentimental about this.

"You were just like a doll then," he said under his breath.

"Did you say something," Ciel said as he grabbed onto Sebastian's neck for stability.

"I said that if you'd let me put you in a trunk, young master, it would be ever so much easier to carry you," he teased.

"This is no time for joking!" However, they trio were accidentally running back to Alois and Claude. Alois looked happy as they approached, but Claude made sure to protect his young master in case of an attack. However, Sebastian managed to backflip over them while Lilliana used her Dearh Scythe to leap over them.

"My, Sebastian and Lilliana are amazing. Could they be better than you, Claude? If we forced them to crawl on the ground for us, that would be even more amazing. Can you do it, Claude?"

Soon, the three caught their breathes, but Ciel was taking his sweet time catching his. All he did was be carried in Sebastian's arms; how could he be tired? However, the a mysterious sound echoed the woods. "Young master, please cover your ears."

"Cover my ears-," he tried to say, but the sound reached his ears and he started to groan in pain. "What is this sounds?!"

"I believe it's been a hundred years since I last heard it," Sebastian said. However, he saw that Lilliana was in some trance; she wouldn't move nor blink. He even noticed that her eyes were red, but there was nothing to trigger it. He tried to help her, but before he could, she fell to the ground, fainted. "Lilliana," he said in a worried tone, but soon saw the triplets heading their way with new weapons in their hands. "A butler's duty is never done," he said as he somehow managed to block an axe with his feet and use that same axe to block another attack by another triplet, all without removing his hands from Ciel's ears. The third one tried to take Lilliana, but he managed to swing his body to kick the triplet away from her and proceeded to drag her close to them with his feet.

"Sebastian, we have to get back to the hall," Ciel ordered.

"Not to worry, my lord. One of my very few friends is here today."

* * *

Back at the party, the group were enjoying themselves. Soma and Agni kept eating curry, Elizabeth and Paula danced with the other guests, the guest were dancing in their own corner, Ran-Mao and Lau just watched everyone have fun, and Katia and Lucy were just enjoying a little chat. "Wow, you've really traveled all over the world," Katia asked.

"Yes. I was born in Japan, but since I was young, I wanted to explore every corner of the world. Since I was born in wealth and power, I was able to," Lucy said as she sipped from her wine glass.

"Wow, that's amazing! I've always wanted to travel, but . . . I never really could," she said in a sad tone.

"Oh, how come?"

"I'm from America and . . . well, work always dictated what I do. This is the farthest I've ever traveled."

"Oh, what do you do?"

"I'm a . . . collector of . . . American antiques," she said in a fluster.

"Oh really? That sounds interesting. What do you have so far?"

"Well, I don't have much. I just have bullets from the Civil War and stuff like that," she lied. Why did she say that was her job?

"That's pretty interesting. I'm sure you would make one lucky guy proud one day. You are very pretty, smart, AND unique."

Katia blushed as she said, "I'm not really all those things."

"Nonsense; of course you are! Anyone would be happy to have you. Why, I can bet you any amount of money on that."

"You . . . you think I'm pretty?"

"Of course! If anyone says otherwise, make sure you tell me and I'll make them see reason."

"How long are you staying in London? Maybe we can chat some other time," Katia said nervously.

"I'll be here for a while and I would love to talk to you again. Just give me a time and a place and I will be there. However, I need to do some buisness, but I will return," Lucy said with a smile as she left her side. Katia couldn't help, but smile like a little girl. Honestly, she felt as nervous talking to her as she did with Lilliana when they first met.

As more time passed, the music to a song ended and everyone clapped. The orchestra was about to play their next song, but everyone saw Hannah, wearing a lacy and skin-tight dress, walk to the middle of the room while pushing something with a red cloth over it. Everyone looked with curiosity as they anxiously awaited her to stop and remove the cloth. Sure enough, she did and it revealed an unusual instrument. Hannah then sat on the bench and opened the instrument to reveal what seemed to be a purple glass cylinder. She then licked her fingers and pressed the petal to make the cylinder move. She placed her fingers on it and somehow, it made a beautiful noise, almost like one out of a fantasy.

"It sound love-," Soma tried to say, but for some reason, his head was hurting and Agni followed in the pain. Eventually, everyone was groaning with agony as they all compressed their heads, hoping to alleviate the pain. Hannah didn't seem to notice the pain she was giving her audience, but she was ordered to continue no matter what. Lau and Ran-Mao, however, knew the best solution as they covered their ears with wine corks.

Soma tried to help Katia, who was just standing there, thinking the music didn't effect her. However, as he approached her, he spun her around and saw that her eyes were blood red. "Katia! What's wrong," he said in between groans, but she fainted in his arms before she could say anything. "Katia, wake up!" However, that was not his only problem. For some reasons, some of the guests snapped out of their pain and just started going crazy. The ones that managed to break free from their torment then picked up weapons and tried to kill Soma and Angi, but Agni directed them away from his prince.

"What the hell is going on," Soma said as he set Katia on a couch.

"That music must be controlling them," Agni said. He saw that the servants were still in pain and hit a certain area on their necks. However, after a while, they seemed to relax.

"Oh, it's all quiet now," Finny said.

"All the noise around me's gotten softer," Mey-Rin said. Agni covered Soma's ears with his hat as he quickly defended his prince from any attackers. Ran-Mao began to fight with them with her amazing fighting skills while Agni removed the wrappings around his hands and used his godly hand to defend them. However, before Lizzie and Paula could turn, Soma knocked them out and placed them near the same couch Katia was laying.

"I'm sorry," he said as he ran back to fight. "Agni, stop their attacks by knocking them unconscious!"

"Jo ājñā," he said. Baldroy used his combat abilities to fend off the attackers, Finny threw heavy objects, and Mey-Rin shot away the weapons that the guests had in their hands. However, the fight seemed to never end as the people they knocked unconscious got up quickly and continued to fight.

"Oh, hell! There are just too many of them," Soma yelled before he was approached by a large group of people.

"Prince Soma," Agni yelled as he headed toward the group, but he did notice something. There seemed to be a new sound echoing throughout the room. The attackers soon stopped at their tracks at the beautiful sound. Still, he hurriedly pulled his prince to safety. "Prince Soma, are you hurt?"

"W-What happened," Soma asked before he realized the guests had stopped. He removed his hat and noticed the music surrounding the room.

"Look! It's Sebastian," Finny said as he pointed to Sebastian, who was upstairs with glasses of water in a row. He seemed to be playing a song with them with his ungloved hands. "I feel so peaceful somehow."

"I can't believe it! Sebastian's performance is merging with hers and transforming the quality of the sound. To think those ominous, uncanny sound waves could change into something so full of warmth and loving-kindness. It truly proves the performer's purity of heart. You are magnificent indeed, Sebastian," Agni said as he began to cry. Soon, Soma noticed that Katia was waking up and he ran to her side.

"Are you all right," he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What just happened," she asked as she yawned.

"The music must have made you faint, but Sebastian has created a sound that has freed everyone from their hypnosis."

"Sebastian . . . ," she said as she looked up to find him playing the water glasses. "Wait, where's Lilliana?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure she's okay," he said, but she quickly got up. "Wait, you should rest!"

"I've rested long enough," she said as she ran to find the stairs. However, on her way, she met up with Lucy. "Oh, hello."

"Why are you in a hurry," she asked.

"I have to find someone," she said, but Lucy started to sob. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just . . . everyone started to turn on each other. I was so scared! I just need a friend right now to help calm my nerves." Katia sighed, but agreed to stay.

As the two demons kept playing, something seemed to go wrong with Hannah's instrument and in some time, the instrument exploded in her face, sending her flying to the floor below. Sebastian saw this, finished the song and walked to her, whispering, "It was a magnificent performance thanks to you. I'm very grateful."

"So flashy," Ciel scoffed out of nowhere.

"Ciel," Elizabeth said as she was about to hug her fiancé, but Sebastian beat her to him.

"What is that instrument?"

"It's an armonica. It was extremely popular in the eighteenth century and people called it 'the voice of the angels'. Some feared that it disturbed the minds of those it enchanted and it was banished to the dark corners of our history as a demon's instrument."

"In other words, a 'demon's instrument' made by humans could be no match for you?"

"Yes, I found the sound rather pleasant."

"Then why did Lilliana faint at the noise?"

"It was an instrument known to ease any beings of death to sleep in hopes of warding off the Grim Reaper. I was at close enough range to hear the noise and go to sleep," Lilliana said with a yawn as she approached the,. "I needed the nap though."

"But what was all this fuss about?! It affected my dear Katia fainted too," Soma said.

"It was simply a diversion for my guests," Alois said as he entered the room in his devil costume. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so sorry I'm late. I am Alois Trancy. I'm honored to make your acquaintance. I'm relieved to see you enjoyed the entertainment while I was away." However, he passed Hannah and the broken armonica and gave her a scowl of disapproval. However, he and Claude approached Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana as he said, "That performance was magnificent. You have great musical talent."

"I'm afraid I do not deserve such praise. You see, I am merely one hell of a butler," Sebastian said.

"You have excellent servants, Earl Phantomhive," Alois praised.

"Young master, I'd like to have a word with Claude, if you wouldn't mind," Sebastian asked.

"Why not, Claude," he said, but whispered, "Settle this in ten minutes. If you can't, you'll be punished."

"Yes, your Highness," Claude said.

"Get this over with quickly, do you hear me," Ciel whispered to Sebastian.

"Yes, my lord," he said as he and Claude left the ballroom to "discuss" outside.

However, as Alois left their side to chat with the other guests, Ciel whispered to Lilliana, "I want you to watch them. I know Sebastian will get my will done, but if Claude is like Sebastian in any way, I want you to give Sebastian the upper hand."

"Yes, my lord," she said as she left the ballroom to spy on the demons.

* * *

"You are persistent people, hunting my young master so relentlessly," Sebastian said as the two demons discussed their issues on a large pond near the manor.

"My master ordered it: steal Ciel Phantomhive from Sebastian Michealis," Claude said.

"He is _my_ young master."

"The feel of him . . . one rarely encounter something so fine."

"Just remembering that someone other than myself has touched him makes me sick. With your sticky white spider threads, you've defiled his soul," Sebastian said as he was about to land a punch on Claude, but he moved out of the way and did the same, but Sebastian moved out of the way just in time. "That day, you stole my young master's precious soul from me." The two began to walk on water as they proceeded their relentless attacks on each other.

"But it wasn't complete. Not with just his soul; the body was necessary and then you two came here. First, you sent your little scout girl to locate the soul within the manor and then you came in to steal it. I can't believe I was stupid enough to let that bitch deceive us like that."

"Please try to refrain from slandering Ms. Kiliamo. Yes, we retrieved his soul from you, but he is still not my young master," he said as he kicked a tornado of water toward Claude, but he did the same. The two water tornadoes combined to make a larger one. They did the same for two more tornadoes until they all combined to make a massive one, but the two demons fought inside it, causing it to fall apart and fall to the pond below, the two demons included.

"Ciel Phantomhive lost his memories and the pain he lived through."

"My young master's soul, which I so carefully cultivated . . . ," Sebastian said as he lifted himself from the water.

"Ah, I thought so. What you want is a soul that's had its revenge. However," Claude said as he grabbed Sebastian's throat from behind and started to choke him. "I sense an extraordinary will in you; a fierce obsession with that soul."

"But of course. You see, I am a demon and you have a master as well, don't you?"

"Cultivate a soul and then feast upon it. That is our lives. My master is another of those rare souls worth desiring, but to give a soul that's lost its memories a second revenge . . . No human is worth that trouble."

"My young master is unlike any other human you've ever seen. As to this second revenge I do intend for him to have his vengeance again, but I lack something critical: a target of that vengeance." Suddenly, a Death Scythe flew toward Claude, hitting him and freeing Sebastian from his grip.

"My, someone is being a little too touchy with my dear Sebastian," she said as she retrieved her Death Scythe from the water. Her hair was drenched since she had to swim and her white shirt was soaked. If she wasn't wearing the vest, they could have seen right through it. "Only I and Grell can get away with that."

"Out of all the times to tease, you choose now," Sebastian asked.

"Why not," she said as they saw Claude get up from the waters and try to attack them, but Sebastian stopped him.

"You said your orders were to steal my young master from me, and yet . . ,"

"They are to make you suffer an agony worse than death. A Ciel Phantomhive without his memories of revenge is meaningless. I must steal a perfected Ciel Phantomhive, one who has gained his revenge."

"Would you care to make a deal," Sebastian said, peaking Claude's interest.

"Is it even possible for two demons to make a contract with each other," Lilliana asked.

"Yes, but there is a process to it. Unlike a human/demon contract, we can't just simply mark each other. Instead, we have something else: blood and roses."

"But there is one catch, we must have someone to witness a contract, someone who is associated with Lucifer, but the only one that could help us is his damn daughter, Lucille and she is known for playing with the terms of a contract," Claude said.

"True, we need someone that has been in contact with him . . . but, I think we have someone here with us that can help," Sebastian said. Claude and Lilliana looked at him with confusion. "Lilliana, you have met Lucifer, correct?"

"Yes, some years ago," she said.

"Well, that means YOU can witness the contract, though, your responsibility wouldn't be only to watch; you would have to make sure that neither demon breaks the contract. Can you do that?"

Lilliana was silent. "Wouldn't it be against the rules for me to do it?"

"There is nothing saying a Grim Reaper can't. The only rule is that associate of Lucifer must watch the transaction. It never specified that a demon must be the witness since there was never another deity other than you that has been close to Lucifer," Claude said.

She looked at Sebastian and nodded. "Fine, I'll do it."

The three deities entered a beautifully decorated green room with what appeared to be broken statues attached to the wall. In the middle of the room was a table with a vase with white roses with purple stems. The two demons sat on the chairs, facing opposite of each other, while Lilliana stood to watch them. The two demons then removed their white gloves with their teeth, revealing their marks of the covenant and their unholy demon eyes. Soon, Sebastian bit into his wrist with his fangs while Claude slit his wrist with a knife to pour blood on the roses on their plates, turning the pure white rose into a shade of red. Lilliana's eyes turned red at the sight of demon blood, which she argued tasted better than human blood.

"I shall make the two of you the targets of my young master's revenge," Sebastian said as he picked up the rose.

"And once Ciel Phantomhive gains his revenge, I will take him," Claude said as he threw his to Sebastian and vice versa.

"We place our seals on this pact," Lilliana said. Apparently, that's what she's suppose to say in this transaction. The two demons then placed their blood on each other's roses, turning its red color into a dark purple. The two then placed the roses in their handkerchief pockets and left to find their young masters. Claude was the first to leave since he was on a schedule, but Sebastian and Lilliana stayed behind for one reason.

"Did your eyes turn red because of our blood," he asked.

"Well, yeah. You know that," she said, confused why he would ask that.

"I guess it's fitting for you costume."

She chuckled. "I guess so," she said as she tried to leave, but he grabbed her arm before she could. Before she could ask why, he pinned her to a wall. "Uh, Sebastian, this is not the time-," she said, but felt him kiss her neck. She moaned at the sensation, but he then pieced her skin with his fangs, sucking her blood little by little.

"Your blood tastes delicious," he said close to her ear.

"Well, it wouldn't be write for a vampire to get her blood sucked. I need some in return," she teased. He smiled at he bit into his wrist again, spilling some of his blood. She quickly grabbed his wrist and started to lick and suck the blood out of him. He moaned a bit by the feeling despite it being something as small as this. Consider this one of his fetishes. However, his wound quickly healed, preventing her from getting more blood out of him. "Oh, I guess we'll have to continue this some other time," she said as she kissed him. The taste of blood was in each other's mouths, but they loved it.

* * *

"Where the hell are they," Ciel asked under his breath as he kept a close eye on Alois and Claude. For some reason, he returned, but where were his servants. Are they . . . fucking right now? No, they knew that time was of the essence and they won't fool around, especially Sebastian. However, he saw the two walk in the room and angrily walked up to them. "Where the hell were you two? What is the meaning of this," he said as he pointed at Claude.

"My apologies for my lateness, my lord, but I took care of it quickly, as you ordered," he said as he pulled out a file from his inner coat pocket. Ciel took it out of his hands and quickly examined it, but was astonished at the discovery.

"This is . . . had they been investigating me?! Even my father? If that's true . . . then he really is the one," Ciel said.

"Indeed, my lord. We found this while dealing with Claude and we led to the same conclusion," she said, but soon, the music changed and people began to dance. One couple in particular caught Ciel's attention: Alois and Lizzie. Though, she seemed to be nervous rather than happy, as if he forced her to dance with him and it ignited a fire inside Ciel. He handed the file to Sebastian and headed to the dance floor.

"Goodness, are you going to dance, my lord," Sebastian teased.

"Quiet, you," he said angrily as he found the next available lady to dance with. Sebastian and Claude showed each other the roses of their contract while Lilliana have a glance to Claude, almost saying that he better not break the contract. In a way, this could be unfair for him. Lilliana was on Sebastian's side, so she could be more lenient on the terms for him, but she was determined to make sure both sides hold both their terms and do not cross any lines. However, she did notice something: Katia talking to a woman in blue. In fact, she looked too familiar. Soon, the two began to dance in a corner of the room and Katia seemed to be extremely happy, but once she got a good look at the woman's face, her eyes turned red in anger.

"Lucille," she said under her breath as she headed for them. Sebastian tried to follow her, but it was clear that was she angry at someone. He looked in the direction of where she was going and saw the woman in blue. Once he figured out who it was, he took a large gulp. Soon, she approached the duo and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Lilliana, you're okay," she said as she broke free from Lucy to hug Lilliana.

"Yes, I'm fine, but I see that you . . . made a friend," she said regretfully.

"Oh, yes! Lilliana, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is my good . . . friend, Lilliana," Katia said as she introduced the two women to each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy said with a wicked smile.

"Right . . . Katia, would you mind if Lucy and I . . . got to know each other better," Lilliana asked.

"Oh, of course," Katia said with glee. The two women separated themselves from the group.

"Well, Lily, it's been a long time, hasn't it," Lucille said.

"What the fuck are you doing here?! How did you even find me," Lilliana asked in anger.

"Oh, your eyes are red. Are you angry at me," she teased.

"This is not the time to be teasing me! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, my father was curious about how you were doing, especially after what happened with Bastille, so he sent me to look out for you."

"Why would he do that?"

"You're special to him. You're the only Grim Reaper to even come close to becoming a demon. He views you more highly than most of his children . . . including me," she said with an unusual sad tone.

"Well, maybe it's because you're a master manipulator. Speaking of which, why the hell are you talking to Katia Vendoa?!"

"Well, after everything I've heard about her from Bastille and I wanted to meet her myself. I'm surprised by the type of person I met."

"You realize what you did could have been very dangerous for you! She is a well-known demon hunter who has killed so many powerful demons in the past."

"And someone as strong as she is should know who the children of Lucifer are."

"You are not well-known among the Reaper Association. In fact, no one knows you exist other than me!"

"Well, now you _and_ Katia know me and to be quite honest with you, she poses no threat to me."

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I can easily beat her; far from it. She may be physically strong enough to kill some of my associates, but . . . emotionally, she is so fragile. I see why you keep her around."

"What the hell are you talking about," Lilliana asked in an confused tone.

"Our little demon hunter clings to anything that gives her happiness . . . even if it hurts her. You're the prime example of that."

"What do you mean?"

"You, my dear friend, are more manipulative than I thought. Her love for you prevented her from killing your brother and ruined her reputation . . . and yet . . . she still clings to you."

"Why would that matter to you?"

"She is so insecure about herself. I mean, look at her! She falls for women that are nothing like her because she doesn't feel pretty herself. Hell, she is envious of a man!"

Lilliana was surprised by the last comment, but then noticed that her hair was like Grell's only blue. "How the fuck-,"

"Bastille was ranting about Mr. Sutcliff one day and told me what he looked like. Plus, I see how much he envies him. She's even wearing one of his dresses! She thinks that a man is more attractive than her! That's why she will do whatever she can to please you! You're the only one who has seen her as attractive."

Lilliana was stunned. Lucille only met Katia today, but she learned about all of this stuff while Lilliana knew her for practically a year and she knew realized it. She felt so guilty for not realizing this, but Katia always looked happy. "S-Still, you are to never see her again!"

"My, my, I've never seen you worked up about anyone. Could it be that you love her? Wouldn't your butler companion be jealous?"

"N-No, that's ridiculous! Just . . . just stay away," she said as she left her side. Lilliana tried to calm herself so that Katia wouldn't know she was having s heated conversation with Lucille. Why the hell would she want to talk to Katia knowing she could possibly die.

Lilliana walked back to the hall and saw Katia trying to free herself from Prince Soma. She walked up to them and with an extended hand, she said, "Katia, would you like to dance?"

"O-Of course," she said gleefully as she took her hand.

"Wait, Katia, I thought you were going to dance with me," Prince Soma said as he tried to get her out of Lilliana's grip, but she pulled her close. Katia blushed at the closeness between them.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the lady has been asking me to dance with her all night, so I will," she said as she took her to the dance floor. As the two danced to the music, people were giving them odd stares.

"Two women dancing together? How absurd," some guests said. Katia kept her head down to avoid the stares, but Lilliana lifted her chin with her finger.

"Don't pay attention to what they think. Just know that I think you are the prettiest girl I have ever met. No one can compare," she said, making Katia blush and smile.

"Thank you, Lilliana," Katia said as the two danced the night away.


	8. Deathly Intentions

The trio was very anxious to return to the Trancy manor again, but they had no choice. Ciel needed to investigate Alois Trancy as much as he could if he wanted to get his revenge on him for what he might have done to him and his parents, or at least, that's what he was led to believe. They set up a story that the two houses were both viewed favorably by the Queen to deal with underworld crimes, but Alois wanted to monopolize all the power, so he spread a rumor that the Phantomhives were possessed by a demon and he soon "purged them". After all this, he and his butler destroyed all the evidence regarding their death. Only the two devilish butlers and equally devilish Grim Reaper knew the truth, but could not say anything for the sake of the contract binding them. As the mediator between both parties, she had to make sure that both demons kept their end of the bargain, but of course, she had some bias toward Sebastian, but had to keep things fair.

The carriage finally arrived at the Trancy manor. They received a letter a yesterday, presumably from Alois and Claude, apologizing for what happened at the previous ball and they would like to host another in their honor. Obviously, it was a trap, but if Ciel wanted to get his revenge, he had to abide. They exited the carriage and they were greeted by a smiling Alois, who said, "Ah, Ciel! You came!"

"It was very good of you to come, my lord," Claude said with a bow.

"Come right this way! I'm holding a special ball for you today," Alois said as he guided his guests into his mansion. It was clear that this was a trap and they didn't seem to try to hide it that much, but they still had to play along. That's all they could do for now. Soon, they led them out to a life-size chess board with many unusual statues either surrounding it or on it. They all looked in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on inside that little blonde maniac's mind.

"What is this," Ciel asked.

"It's one of the dueling areas of old," Sebastian explained.

"I say, Ciel, why don't we have our servants dance in place? Whoever can dance the longest wins. The loser will have to follow the victor's orders. What do you think," Alois asked in a playful tone and sinister smile.

"It appears that they prepared a death match as well," Lilliana said under her breath.

"That sounds like just our sort of ball. Much better than dressing ourselves up in false costumes," Ciel said with a calculating smile, making both Sebastian and Lilliana smirk. He took off his eye patch and said, "Sebastian, Lilliana, this is an order: win and bring Alois Trancy to stand before me! I'll kill him with my own hands."

"Yes, my lord," they said in unison and with a bow, although Sebastian took it a step further by having one knee on the ground as he bowed.

"Your orders, Master," Claude said, waiting to be taken off the leash for just this bit.

"Hmm? Ah, yes. Make Ciel Phantomhive mine and give Sebastian Michaelis and Lilliana exquisite agony. She deserves to be in agonizing pain in any way you decide. I'm sure you can do it, can't you, Claude," Alois ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Soon, all the servants took their place; the twins had their own weapons along with Hannah, who looked as if she regretted doing this. Lilliana readied her Death Scythe while Sebastian smirked as he got his silverware ready for the dance. However, before they could fight, they were interrupted by a certain blonde nobleman who had the worst habit of popping out of nowhere. "Fantastic! This is the ancient dueling arena where legendary heroes crossed swords. And this is to be this evening's ball? I have never felt so honored to receive a dance invitation." Viscount Druitt said with his usual over flamboyancy.

"Um, Sir, might we ask what brings you here today," Claude asked in utter confusion. It was suppose to be a death match for the two opposing houses. What was this idiot doing here uninvited, especially with an unusual blue lobster hat?

"But of course! I am ever honored to be invited to this costume ball. I am Aleister Chambers, the Viscount Druitt and today, I am accompanied by this lovely lady. . . . Where did my beautiful blue swan go," he said as he looked around for his "special" lady

"I'm here, don't worry," the woman said as she approached the group, but all the demons and Lilliana instantly recognized the woman.

"No, it fucking can't be," Lilliana said under her breath. However, their eyes were not deceiving them. The woman had blue hair that was curled at the ends and reached her lower back, a slim boy, but with enough curve to attract any man. Her nails were black, but she wore fingerless gloves that would be able to hide the devil marking on her left hand. She wore a simple slim black dress and wore heels that seemed to be too high for anyone to be comfortable in. Her makeup was dark, especially with her dark red lipstick that could seduce a man or woman into doing anything and finally, he piercing blue eyes that couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. "Lucille!"

"I met this beautiful sapphire swan at one of my balls and thought of taking her to this ball as my special guest. How can someone deny this exquisite beauty?"

"Oh, Viscount, you flatter me," she said flirtatiously, fully aware of the glares she was getting. In fact, as she looks at them, she giggled.

"I'm afraid the costume ball ended last week. Today's ball is a private one for the Earl Phantomhive alone," Claude explained calmly, but the reaction was not as calm.

He gasped. "Great Scott! What a terrible mistake! How could I have mixed up the dates?! I suppose society really does look down on those with a criminal record. However, how can I miss a ball so charged with allure and danger? I, Druitt, serve the goddess of beauty and I insist we observe this for my own edification!"

Viscount Druitt and Lucille headed up to the viewing area to watch the duel below along with the young earls, but as Lucille passed by the demons and Lilliana, she separated herself for a bit to say with a red-eyed wink, "You thought you could have a duel to the death without having someone like me watching. You need to determine a winner."

Once the couple took their seat, the death match was ready to begin. The first to attack were the triplets with their various weapons: a dagger, an axe, and a crossbow. They all aimed toward Sebastian, but he single-handedly defended himself, even managing to split all three weapons in half. In a hurry, they gathered similar looking weapons and started a three-man attack on Lilliana. She blocked their advances with her Death Scythe and she was smirking as they kept fruitlessly trying to hit her. "You have just the rapport I should have expected from identical faces." They looked at with her angry demon eyes as they started to combine their weapons to make one long spear that all three of them could hold. They threw it toward her, but she not only dodged it, but let go of her Death Scythe to twirl the entire spear single-handedly. The triplets looked in shock and she suddenly threw it toward them, piercing their skulls like a shish kabob. "Now you three can get along even better."

Everyone in the viewing area either cheered or looked in amazement by the scene that played out. "That beautiful woman displayed such exquisite dangerous talents," Viscount Druitt said in amazement.

Lucille chuckled. "She is quite a unique servant, isn't she?"

Soon, Hannah began to attack next and threw large knives toward Sebastian. He was able to avoid harm, but one of them damaged his tailcoat. "Oh, now I'll have to mend this."

"No need. You'll be full of holes soon," she said as she pulled out two handguns and started shooting him. However, instead of being completely focused on the battle, Sebastian started to sew his tailcoat, all while avoiding Hannah's bullets.

"That cocky motherfucker," Lilliana said as she tried to distract Hannah by attacking her, which only worked for so long before she pulled out a heavy-duty machine gun and started to shoot her with it. "Shit," she said as she nearly dodged the line of fire.

"I shall repay you for every bullet," Sebastian said as he hid behind one of the statues and readied his silverware. Soon, he jumped into the air and Hannah tried to hit him, but none of them landed on him. Instead, he threw down a rain of silverware and it was aiming towards her. She thought they were going to hit her, but instead, they only ripped her dress and pinned her down to the ground, none of them harming her. However, as he landed, he got his silverware out, ready to kill her, scaring her, and surprisingly, Lilliana. Grant it, she was about to kill her a minute ago, but she did feel bad Hannah since she was, unfortunately, Alois's punching bag. However, as he threw them to her, the attack was blocked when a giant statue blocked the way. They all looked to where it came from and saw that Claude had kicked it their way.

"That will do. It's teatime," Claude said with a stone face.

"Goodness, is it that late already," Sebastian asked with a smirk.

"I must prepare my master's refreshments. We'll suspend the match temporarily."

"In that case, might I make use of your kitchen as well?" Without getting an answer, the demons started walking off the arena, confusing Lilliana.

"A-Are you serious?" She didn't get a response and was about to follow Sebastian, but she noticed that Hannah was still pinned to the ground. She sighed, but went to help get the silverware off of her without tearing too many holes on her dress. "Sebastian's is going to need these." Although she said that, Hannah knew why she was doing this and smiled.

* * *

Both demon butlers worked on their own pastries that would be served to their young masters and guests while the others either recovered or, in Lilliana's case, made sure no one did anything stupid while they were on a temporary truce. They set up two little kitchens outside so that the two butlers could work, but so that they could also display their talents in front of the viewers. As Claude worked, he kept looking at Ciel and kept thinking to himself why a demon would work this hard to get one soul. It must be very tasty if-

"Oh, do excuse me," Sebastian insincerely apologized as he "accidentally" flung dough at Claude's face. "The way you looked at my young master concerned me. The way you seemed to be assessing his soul's flavor." In anger, Claude "accidentally" flung dough at him, but he dodged it and instead hit Lilliana. However, instead of noticing his error, both demons continued to throw dough at each other, clearly not accidentally at this point.

"They're acting like fucking children," she said as she wiped the dough off her face and dodged any more heading her way. "Fuck this; I'll get the table ready."

"I won't allow you to lay a finger on his soul or give him any lip," Sebastian said.

Soon, both butlers prepared their desserts as Lilliana and Hannah finished setting the table for everyone. The earls and guest took their respected seats and soon, the butlers showed off their treats. "Today's tea features puits d'amour crème pâtissiere and raspberry jam in a pastry made of pie dough, accompanying Mariage Frères Eros tea," Claude said as he gave his young earl and guests his dish. However, one person in particular was overwhelmed by the flavors invading his mouth.

"Excellent! This puits d'amour pairs rich cream with the tartness of raspberry in a satiny ensemble one could justify call the Silk Road of flavor! I thirst for more! I travel the Taklimakan Desert of the palate! Could you be the flavor's Marco Polo," Viscount Druitt said with his usual flamboyant flair.

"Relax, it's just a dessert," Lucille said as she took another bite. She obviously wasn't impressed.

"Forêt noire: layers of chocolate sponge cake and cherry compote dressed with white cream. It accompanies a superfine Keemun tea I had sent to us from the Qing Empire's Anhui Province," Sebastian said as he placed the desert in front of his young master while Lilliana served the other two plates. Lucille smiled as she saw her favorite Grim Reaper again, but Lilliana scoffed.

"Três bien! This forêt noire . . . the rich aroma of the chocolate accentuates the aroma of the cherry! Its sweetness and mellowness are like surging waves which arrives at your feet having navigated the globe! Yes, one could justly cal this flavor's Age of Discovery! My head spins at the overwhelming deliciousness! It's the Ptolemaic model of the palate! Could you be flavor's Vasco de Gama? Oh, who could say which of the two is better? I . . . I . . . I'm just so moved! I must powder my nose!"

"Honestly, I don't know who is worse: him or Grell. If the two of them ever met . . . oh god no," Lilliana said under her breath.

"I have to admit that the deserts are divine, almost as if these were doused in sin," Lucille said as she took the last bite of Sebastian's dessert and winked.

* * *

Once the three viewers took their seats at the viewing area and the death match was ready to resume. Two against two; two demon butlers and two maids. Lilliana looked up to Lucille and could see her sadistically smiling as she watched the battle commence. "Shall we dance," Sebastian asked.

"Very well then," Claude said as he pulled Hannah close to him and pulled off his glove with his teeth. She seemed to be in distress about what was going to happen, but she seemed to consent to whatever pain that would come to her. As his hand got closer to her mouth, she opened it and he slid his fingers in. Then his hand. Then his whole arm. She grunted in agony as his arm went deeper and deeper down her throat and Lilliana tried her absolute best not to vomit from the sight.

"That's just . . . ," she said before putting her hand over her mouth, but Sebastian seemed to be unaffected by the sight. However, Claude started pulling something green out of her mouth and she started to collapse to the ground the more and more the green object exited her mouth. Even the audience was disgusted by what was happening, except for Lucille, who knew exactly what the object was. As soon as the object was pulled fully out, Claude swung it so everyone could see it clearly and to remove any saliva that was on it.

"Well, goodness me. If it isn't Lævateinn, the cursed ancient sword cloaked in eternal darkness. I wound have never dreamed that you would possess such a fine article," Sebastian said with a smirk.

"I'm merely giving your invitation to dance the response it deserves. Let's begin our Danse Macabre," Claude said as he advanced his attack toward Sebastian and dodged it, but soon learned that his silverware was useless in this fight since with one strike, they split in half. Lilliana tried her best to get him to fight her since she was the only other one with a weapon by attacking him and although he did attempt to hit her a couple of times, it was clear that his target was Sebastian. Still, whenever he did strike, he had to make sure that it did not hit her. She knew all too well how much damage a demon sword can do to a deity.

However, all three of them saw that the young earls were leaving the viewing area and started to head for the mansion, making Sebastian chuckle. "Well now. I don't think much of you passing off the dance to your butler and then leaving, young master. I think even less of you letting your eyes wander during our dance," he said as he continually dodged Claude's attack. Soon, the only person left to watch the fight was Lucille, who had her red eyes fully in view and that same grin on her face.

Lilliana's eyes grew red with anger as she threw the knifes that she kept toward Claude, but when he dodged them, they could see that they were about to hit Lucille. The two demons looked in horror, thinking they were going to hit her and make her mad. Yes, they wish to see harm to Lucille as well, but the destructive power she had when she was angry was more frightening. Luckily, she dodged them with ease and laughed. "Nice try, Lily," she yelled, making Lilliana even angrier.

"Are you out of your mind? You could have hit her," Sebastian said before he had to dodge another attack from Claude.

"That was the goal," she said before she started to help him by attacking Claude, which only helped so much.

"Are you sure being so keen on that human's soul hasn't dulled your demon instincts," Claude asked. Before they could figure out what he meant, they finally saw the spider web wires that had surrounded them, one of them cutting Sebastian's cheek and another slicing Lilliana's hand as she tried to move her Death Scythe, but couldn't.

"When did that happen," Lilliana asked, trying to stay in place, but being so tempted to deal with the pain and cut through the wires with her Death Scythe.

"The house of Trancy's spider threads can cut through steel. If you two move, you'll lose your head." He started swinging randomly at the two, watching them accidentally cut themselves with the wires as they tried to dodge. Lilliana's demon instincts were starting to take over, but she had to control them if she wanted to not harm herself too much, but the cuts on her were a lot deeper than Sebastian's. He was getting worried about her more than himself since he too knew what would happen if she lost control.

However, Claude was ready to deliver the killing strike toward Sebastian, but both demons heard the sound of clashing swords in the distance. "Young master," Sebastian said. Both earls were in danger of hurting themselves and they both knew it. Claude loosened the spider wires around them and they were free to move. He also threw the sword toward Hannah, who was still recovering from the sword-pulling trauma, and all three headed inside the manor.

They ran inside, hoping to stop the fight, but when they opened the door to the room, they were too late; Ciel had stabbed Alois in the side with a sword. Ciel pulled it out so the wound could bleed heavily and Alois fell to the ground in agony. Even Lilliana, who had blood red eyes entering the room, but were now green, had to cover her mouth in shock. He may be a brat . . . but they did have something in common. "It hurts! Help me, Claude!"

"Yes, Your High-"

"Sebastian, stand back! Stay back until I've killed him," Ciel ordered. Even Claude was surprise by the ferocity of his soul, but Sebastian smiled.

"Very good, my lord," Sebastian said with a bow.

"Die, Alois Trancy," Ciel said as he aimed the sword toward him.

"No; I don't want to die! It hurts . . . Spare me, Ciel," he begged as he tried to crawl toward him.

"You're a disgrace, Alois, begging after you killed my parents!"

"You don't understand anything! You're just being tricked by a demon! My parents were killed too, you know. My dear family was burned to death along with the whole village. Someone stole what was dear to me! You and I are the same. I won't pester you anymore. I'll apologize for everything! So . . . So . . . Please spare my life," he begged.

Ciel chuckled before saying, "Atone for the crime of sullying my pride with your life." He aimed his sword to kill Alois and started to swing down.

"Claude, help me," Alois begged. Luckily, Claude was able to hold back Ciel just in time so that he could not harm him anymore.

"Let me go, you bastard," Ciel yelled as he tried to get out of his grip and finish killing Alois, even slapping Claude with his bloody hand. Lilliana snatched Ciel out of his grip and held on to him tight, making sure that Claude wouldn't try to steal him back. Sebastian followed behind her and soon took the young lord out of her hands, which he could see were still injured by the wire earlier. Claude noticed the blood on his cheek and decided to have a little taste of the soul that was so obsessively pursued by a demon. He licked the blood and he instantly was entranced by the taste. His soul . . . so divinely seasoned and perfect.

"Given the circumstances, I can't allow this dance to continue. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we must excuse ourselves for today," Sebastian said.

"Qu-Quite. We'll save the rest of our ball for another day," Claude said, getting out of his trance.

"Let's be on our way, young master. First you run off on our your own, then you get yourself hurt. . . We're at our wit's end with you," Lilliana commented with a smile. "Do you really hate dancing that much?"

"Put me down, Sebastian," Ciel said as he tried to get out of his arms, even repeatedly slapping him, but to no avail.

"Honestly, I don't know how you still have the energy to act up after losing all that blood," Sebastian said as the three of them left the manor.

* * *

"She looks quite lovely," Katia said as she watched Undertaker put makeup on a dead girl. It was pretty late at night and she was cleaning the shop while he worked on beautifying the corpses for their funerals, but he had the gift to make their dead flesh look lively for a short amount of time.

"She does, doesn't she. It's almost as if she was brought back to life. . . . I wonder what she would be like . . . if she was given a second chance at life," he said, at first clearly, then mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, sorry. Just rambling to myself," he said as he kept putting makeup and embalming fluid on the corpse. "So, you will be out of rehabilitation in about a week, huh?"

"Y-Yeah," she said. "I can't believe I would have been here for over a year," she said with a slightly shocked tone. "So much has happened."

"Indeed. If only you followed the rules like a good little Reaper, you would have gone home earlier than expected, but . . . "

"I had to make a deal with my target . . . all because he was the brother of the woman I . . . love. I don't care what those idiots say: love is an emotion that a Grim Reaper can feel," Katia said.

"As a Rogue Reaper, I have to agree with you. After all, Lilliana and I are wired differently than those so-called 'normal' Reapers."

"I still don't understand how you are a Rogue Reaper. Other than your retirement, you don't act that much different than the others."

He laughed as he said, "In the London Sect, in order to be called a Rogue Reaper, you must have had a connection to demons that is not looked favorably in the Reaper Association. I am actually quite good friends with Lucifer and he raised our dear Lilliana to act like a demon and even devour souls. I would think like a Reaper like you would understand that."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "W-What?"

"You honestly didn't think I figured it out? If you were any other recruit, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but you were different, just like Lilliana. You're a Rogue Reaper too, right?"

Katia was shocked, but nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Care to explain how you got that label?"

She was quiet, but said, "Well, I too was mentored by a demon, but he didn't try to convert me. Instead, he gave me this katana, telling me that I could gather the strength from any creature I slain with it, but not too long, he killed and was killed by a demon hunter. Despite my emotional state, they figured that since I was a 'Special' Reaper, I could fulfill his role. They even managed to modify the katana into a Death Scythe so I could collect souls with it."

"And does anyone know of your little secret?"

"William knows, but that's it."

"I'm surprised you haven't told Lily. I'm sure that she would be very interested in another Rogue Reaper."

She sighed, but said, "I didn't want to get her hopes up. If she was like me, she would want to make a connection with a fellow Rogue Reaper and cling to them, but I wouldn't be able to stay for that long and besides, my target was her brother . . . and I still feel bad that he's dead."

"Well, he's not really-"

"I know, but she seemed so distraught by his death. Poor girl . . . she must miss him dearly."

"Yeah, she does, but she has master butler to deal with that," he said, almost unaware of her saddened expression. "I-I didn't mean it like that."

"No, it's fine. You're right, she does have him. That's why I am still hesitant to tell her. I don't want to get in their way."

"But she does still care about you, dearie. Otherwise, she wouldn't have done so much for you."

"I guess, but still . . ."

"She cares about you enough to visit you as many times as she could while you were in the rehabilitation center."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

After a moment of silence, Undertaker clapped his hands and said, "Well, that's enough dilly-dallying. We should get back to work."

* * *

 _ **Sorry that I haven't worked on this story in a while. I just have been busy with other stories and college work. Thank you for being patient and I'm grateful for the support I get. Don't worry, I haven't given up on this story, I just have a lot on my plate for now. Thank you patient readers!**_


	9. Divulging into Despair

Lilliana spied on the Trancy Manor from a distance. She had to fulfill her role and look after both demons to see if they were not cheating, but there was another reason why she came. True, she was supposed to go to work right now, but she had to see if Alois would be all right. He did suffer from a nasty wound, even though it didn't cut as deeply as Ciel intended. He was pretty injured as well, so it would make sense that his aim was off when he stabbed him. Luckily, the servants quickly bandaged him and made sure he got plenty of rest, but even at his weak state, he would still abuse Hannah and annoy Claude, who, she had to admit, looked very uninterested in his master, almost like if the shine around his soul faded and there was nothing special about it. However, this time, as Claude was changing his bandages, she was surprised to see him do something she never thought he'd do: smile. Not a smirk, but a genuine smile. What did Alois say to him to make him smile? Even more strange, Alois seemed to be very . . . scared at the sight. Lilliana would be too, but she was more curious to what he said to make him smile.

"Sneaking around here without your butler," a feminine voice said before a dagger was placed closely in front of her throat, making her unable to move. "Or are you trying to steal my master's soul?"

"No, Hannah, I'm suppose to be the keeper of their contract-,"

"I know about their deal, but that still doesn't give you permission to come here and spy on us."

"Isn't that part of my job?"

"I don't trust that your butler will keep his end of the bargain."

"And I don't trust that yours will either. He seems to have acted . . . different since we left." At those words, Hannah pulled the dagger away from Lilliana and released her.

"Yes, I must admit that I noticed a change in his behavior, but that doesn't give you permission to come here and spy on us."

"I am just making sure that he doesn't try to go after my young master since it IS his soul that is on the line, not Alois's. Besides, what would Sebastian have to gain if something happened to Alois? He's already pretty injured."

"My young master may be strong, but he too has his fragile moments and I don't want a being, especially a Grim Reaper, to try to prevent the fulfillment of their contract."

"I would never try to stop it. I'm a Rogue Reaper; I know the sanctity of the contract better than anyone. Even if I was told to stop it, I wouldn't." Soon, they heard a bell tower in the distance, meaning one thing. "Well, I guess that is my cue to leave." Before she left her side, she said one more, "I hope Alois will be all right. After all, he may be a brat, but we both know that he lost something very close to him." Hannah tried to stop her so she could talk to her some more, but she was already gone.

* * *

Lilliana clocked in to work, a little late, like usual, but a lot was on her mind. To her surprise, she wasn't stopped by anyone, especially William, telling her that she was late yet again and the next time would be the last, though he never enforced that. She even made it to her desk without incident and her files were ready for her. She examined them and noted the time and location of their deaths and the downtimes in between each assignment. It seemed like it would be an easy night, but then a flamboyant voice rang in her ear.

"Why do I have to deal with this soul, Will? I'm sure there are people more capable of handling demon work," Grell said as he not so subtly pointed to Lilliana, who couldn't help, but eavesdrop in their conversation.

"I don't want to depend on her when it comes to demon work. Besides, I'm afraid that she would be influenced by her demon brethren and would let the demon get what he wants rather than stop him from stealing the soul."

"Oh, when's the last time she's done that?"

"How about the fact that she never stops that demon Michaelis from killing people not on the To-Die list?"

"But doesn't she clean up after him and collects every soul? After all, she knows the consequences if she had a little taste," he said as he leaned close Will, who only sighed.

"Still, I am assigning you to collect the soul of Jim Macken, understand me?"

"Fine, fine, I'll do it . . . but only if you promise to go on a date with me afterwards~," Grell said flirtatiously, but only revived a death glare from Will. "I'll do it! I'll do it!"

As Grell passed her desk and out the door, Lilliana couldn't help, but think about the name that was uttered. Jim Macken. Why does that name sound familiar to her? She pondered and pondered until finally she figured it out. "No, he can't die yet," she said under her breath. Wasn't he recovering? Wasn't he going to be okay? Screw her assignments; she needed to go to Alois as soon as possible.

* * *

Alois was on a fast carriage ride to the Phatomhive manor. He persuaded Hannah to take him there after showing some emotion toward her and mainly because he was her young master and couldn't deny an order. Alois wasn't in any good shape to go out, but he was so determined to see Ciel Phantomhive possibly one last time before he died that he didn't care. Though, many obstacles in their way, making he carriage ride a lot bumpier than it needed to be, agitating Alois and eventually, tearing the stitches and making his wound bleed. However, out of nowhere, a red-headed figure appeared in his carriage.

"Hello~," Grell said to Alois.

"Who the bloody hell are you," Alois asked in surprise.

"Oh, I have no interest in babes in arms. I'm going to tidy this up quickly. Let's see, 'Jim Macken', that's your real name. What a dreary name for our protagonist, but no matter. After all, you're at death's grim door. Now, I wouldn't leave the office just for that, but you see, there is a teeny bit of an issue with your soul," Grell said as he looked over the file. However, before he could proceed, they both heard a loud sound from up above and saw the top of the carriage being ripped off. "Oh, I don't like the look of this." Soon, the top was ripped all the way off and the saw Hannah staring down at both of them. "Ugh, I knew it was a demon. I suppose you're not just a pretty face. Where did you pick up something so dangerous?"

"Kill Ginger here, Hannah," Alois ordered loudly.

"My, you're a hot-blooded little nipper, aren't you? I'm not looking to fight. I want to peacefully-," Grell tired to say before Hannah almost bombed herself onto the carriage below, aiming for a Grell, but luckily, he escaped before she landed. He jumped a little bit away from the carriage, sighed, and pulled out his chainsaw. "I better be paid extra for this."

Not too far away from them was Lilliana, who was watching the whole thing. She knew that they would send a Grim Reaper to try to retrieve a contracted soul, hoping to steal it before the demon had a chance, but she had to stop that. Though, luckily, Hannah was distracting Grell, but she wondered where the hell Alois went? She knew that Hannah was far too busy to protect him, so she figured it was up to her to find him. However, it didn't take very long for her to find him crawling away from the fight. She couldn't just watch him use every strength in his body to crawl, especially when she saw the blood that was trailing behind him.

She jumped down to him and as he saw her, he shot a nasty look. "Have you come to claim my soul too? How very devilish of you."

"No, I'm not. I just want to help you," she said as she tried to pick him up, but he swatted her hands away

"Get your deathly hands away from me! Claude is the only person who should have my soul!"

"Just let me help you!"

"No," he said as he tried crawling away from her, but her patience was finally thinned too much as she just picked him up and found a tree isolated from the fight. "Let me go," he kept saying as he tried to get out of her arms.

"Both young earls just hate being carried," she said under her breath, but she soon gently rested him next to the tree. "You should be far away from that Grim Reaper," she said before sitting next to him. "You may be a brat, but you and I have something in common . . . We both lost someone dear to us."

"Oh, what could you have possibly lost? Your life? Oh sure, it must have been so bad to go from human to Grim Reaper!"

"No, you spoiled shit, we both lost . . . our brothers," she said in a surprisingly sad tone. Alois was surprised to see her sudden change in behavior. Not once while she worked with him did he see such a pathetic-looking deity. "You had Luka and I had Bastille. They both made contracts with deities and both lost their lives to those very deities. They were loving brothers who only wanted to do what would make us happy . . . but now they're gone."

"Oh look, you're crying. How pathetic," Alois said. Usually, Lilliana would be angry at him for saying such a thing, but she knew that he was feeling empathy under that hard shell and she laughed.

However, a wolf started to approach them and bared its teeth at them. Lilliana got up and got her Death Scythe ready in case it would try to kill Alois, but before it could, it was killed by a devilish butler. "What are you attempting to do, master? You haven't obtained Ciel Phantomhive yet," Claude said before throwing the carcass away from them. "And what are you doing here, Lilliana?"

Before she could answer, Alois said, "You're all I have!"

"Don't be ridiculous, master."

"Shut your trap . . . Shut your trap! You're the only one in my world now," Alois yelled before he hugged Claude's leg. "Hoheo taralna, rondero tarel! Don't leave my side! Never, Claude! You're . . . You are my Highness," Alois said with tears falling down on his face,

After a moment of silence, Claude knelt down to his young master and wiped the tears. "What a thing to say to a mere butler." However, the tender moment was cut short after Claude ripped out Alois's soul from his body, mortifying Lilliana. "Not to worry, master. A crude little soul who gives his love to a butler . . . I could hardly work up an appetite for that. I'll keep you always with me," he said as he put his master's ring in his pocket. "I have a use for your soul."

"H-How could you," Lilliana said, finally being able to say something. "He offered up everything to you . . . and you just . . . everything . . . fucking everything . . . was all based on a lie . . . and yet . . . you still ultimately betray him until his dying breath."

"I don't have time for you and your games."

"Oh, I see, that's the story," Grell said out of nowhere. When Claude turned around, he saw that Lilliana was nowhere to be seen, probably so she wouldn't be written up for being in the same scene with a demon. However, Grell was covered in blood, but not his own, which alarmed him. "The boy was slated to die tonight, but it wasn't affecting the soul ledgers. I did assume that a demon was involved, but . . . ," Grell said as he played with his hair.

"Are you going to steal the soul, Grim Reaper?"

"All that matters to me is that our spiritual accounts balance. I will watch how this plays out, though. I think it'll be interesting."

"So you're not on Sebastian's side, then?"

"'On his side'? Don't insult me with such a hackneyed phrase. The highest form of love will always be a death match! Anyway, I should get going. Ta ta for now~" he said before leaving his side.

"Interesting," Claude said before he walked up to the tree and hitting the trunk of the tree, making it shake and soon, Lilliana fell into his arms. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Let me go," she yelled, but to no avail. In fact, he pinned her by the threat to the tree instead. She even spat in his face, but he seemed to be indifferent to the gesture. Instead, he just tightened the grip on her neck.

"How pathetic of a Grim Reaper to have empathy toward a human. Have you lost that hardened shell that demons gave you? But still, that wouldn't make sense since Grim Reapers are also depraved of emotions. You must be weak to have any feelings toward a human out of all creatures."

"F-Fuck y-you," she tried to say, but he only tightened his grip.

"You didn't come here to claim his soul, but rather, you wanted to make sure he was going to be all right, and yet, look where we are." She tried to speak, but all that came out was a choked mess, which made him chuckle. "You have caused us a lot of trouble, Lily, and you need to be punished. I could turn you back into the demon you used to be or I can break you and make you suffer worse than you ever have. However, the torture won't begin until I have your master in my possession."

"Y-You won't be able to steal his soul as long as Sebastian is there to protect him," Lilliana said in a choked tone.

He chuckled. "I have a plan and you're going to help me."

* * *

Jim Macken was a young boy who lived in a little village. Ever since his parents died, he survived with his young brother, Luka, by stealing whatever they needed in order to survive, even if that meant that the whole village hated them for it. He grew bitter toward the people of the village that he wanted them all dead, preferably the most gruesome way posible. The only person that he cared about was his younger brother, who supported him and his wish with a smile and the usual response of "Yes, Your Highness".

However, one day, their wish came true and everyone in the village died in a fire that consumed the village. While they basked in their victory, they decided to steal everything that was left in the village, but sadly, as they rummaged the burnt village, Jim found an awful sight: Luka, the only light in his miserable life . . . lifeless. Not long after that, he was kidnapped and brought to a man with ill intentions towards the young boys brought to him. Physically and sexually abused, he seemed to waste away, that was, until he made a pact with a "fairy", or so he thought, until he learned his fairy was a demon. Soon, due to his more than needed cooperation, he became the sick Earl's favorite "son" and soon became Alois Trancy. Once his "father" died of unusual circumstances, he became the Earl of Trancy with his butler by his side.

Once their contract had been properly formed, Claude implanted the false memory that it was Sebastian Michaelis that had made a contract with Luka and devoured his soul. Though, it wasn't enough to just simply kill Sebastian; he wanted to make him suffer greatly and wither into nothing. An agony worse than death. Soon, it was clear what the terms of the contract were: "Make Ciel mine!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Not too long after their assimilation into wealth and power, they gathered a number of demon servants, including the triplets, Thompson, Timber, and Canterbury, and Hannah Annafellow. However, not too long after that, they were introduced to a new "demon": Lily Bastida. The red-headed, red-eyed beauty came to the front door of the Trancy manor without any motivation other than she needed to be trained by "the best servants".

"Master, there is a young lady here is hoping to get a job in the manor," Claude said to Alois when they first met Lily Bastida.

"We don't need any more servants working for us. Just send her away," Alois said rather rudely, transforming bills he needed to sign into paper airplanes.

"Oh please, Earl Trancy, I need the job! I was kicked out of my last one when they learned my . . . secret," she begged, but he seemed to be intrigued.

"Your secret?"

"I-I cannot say-,"

"She is a demon as well, master," Claude intervened. His boldness surprised her, but he only smirked. "I'm surprised she is using the innocent act when she is just as debauched as the rest of us."

She tried to keep her begging face for a little longer, but she soon chuckled. "I guess I can't hide that well from a fellow demon."

"Well, if she is a demon, then she can work with us. The more help, the better."

"But you were about to throw me out a second ago-,"

"I will personally give her a tour of our mansion and explain to her what her position requires from her," Claude said as he put his arm around her waist, surprising her a bit.

"Of course," Alois said as he continued to make more paper airplanes and letting them fly as soon as the two of them left.

As their tour began, she examined every nook and cranny and detail of the manor. Everything just seemed so grand for her and Claude chuckled at her somewhat innocence. "I've never seen a house so massive in my life," she said.

"Really? Who was your previous employer?"

"Just some old creep with a lot of money. He tried to sleep with me many times, but I denied him, but he made the claim I was a demon and I was forced to leave in case they do try some religious shit on me."

"Interesting. Why did you always deny him? Being a demoness, I would assume that you would give in to his pleasures."

"I'm not a whore, Clause Faustus. I don't need to sleep with every man I see just because I am a demoness. I have some dignity."

"Hm, very interesting." He led her everywhere, including the basement, and finally, into the servants' quarters and finally, the head butler's private room. He led her inside and locked the door behind them. She heard the lock, but before she could respond, she was pinned to the wall by him. "Enough of this inexperienced demon act. Why have you come here?"

However, she chuckled, not caring about the danger she was in. "I haven't lied to you, Faustus. I'm a new demon and would like to be trained by the most skilled demons. What would I have to gain by stealing a contracted soul other than shame and punishment?"

"Still, how can I trust a demoness like you to not try anything?"

"How about this," she said before kissing him, shocking him and forcing him to pull back. "I will always be in your watchful gaze until that soul is yours to feast or before I feel like I have become the proper demon I was destined to be. Does that sound like a deal?"

After he calmed down, he smirked. "Yes, that sounds like a good deal."

That would be a deal she wished she never made.


	10. Hollow Promises

"There, finished," Katia said as she finished putting makeup on the newest customer. Despite working for a short time with the Undertaker, she could see why he was so obsessed with death. Each dead body was a work of art in itself and they only made it more majestic with a bit of makeup and a fresh suit or dress for their funeral. Even the stitches on their wounds were just special details that didn't hinder its beauty. As a Grim Reaper, she was never able to just admire a body of a human since she was always on the go to get the next soul on her To-Die list. Now, she has a new appreciation for them and if she ever retired, she might want to become a mortician herself. Hopefully that kind of business will still be in need in the future; humanity constantly evolves and while it is amazing, some Reapers miss the old ways of humanity back when technology wasn't so advanced. They try to evolve as well, but Reaper technology is far more advanced than human technology, so when humanity evolves, it's more like they're catching up.

"I say, you've gotten a lot better at painting the canvases, haven't you?" Undertaker said as he walked up to her and admired the body.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a smile before putting the brush down.

"How many times have I told you that you don't need to be so formal with me? 'Undertaker' is just fine with me," he said with a giggle.

"S-Sorry. It's habit I guess. I can't help it," she said as she walked away from the body and sat on a coffin. "In about three days, my rehabilitation will be over and I must return to America. . . . I can't believe it's almost time."

"Oh, you're right. I'd hate to see such a big help around here go, but you _were_ only a temporary recruit and since your target is terminated, you have no reason to stay."

"Yeah . . . ," she said as she looked down. She didn't like to be reminded that Lilliana's brother, Bastille, was the target she was supposed to kill, the only reason why she came here in the first place. Not only did she not plan on falling in love with the target's sister, but she did not think she would ever make a deal with said target and to top it off, she didn't even have the honor of killing him or sparing his life; he was tragically killed in the fire of London. Or at least, that's what Lilliana told her that day. She remembered how hard she was trying to hold back tears, but eventually, she started crying. She had never seen her so broken in her life and it was heartbreaking. But now, she had to leave to go to America. She hoped she could talk with Lilliana before she left, but so far, neither she nor her young master and that butler have stopped by the shop for any information. She always feared for Lilliana, even when there seemed to be no reason for it.

She couldn't imagine how Lilliana felt, but she can empathize her with her loneliness, namely because she was called a Rogue Reaper because of her connections with demons. She pulled out her katana Death Scythe and was reminded of who she really was: a demon huntress. When she was still in training, a demon befriended her and eventually, he gave her the katana to fight demons. What he didn't tell her was it would become a contract: for every creature slain with this katana, the demon would gain its power. She didn't realize she was doing so and when she did, it was already too late: he turned against her and went on a killing spree in New York. Eventually, the demon hunter at the time came to the rescue, but unfortunately, he killed and was killed by the demon. Katia felt guilty for letting this happen, but she proved herself in combat when she learned that the strength of the fallen demons was passed to her. Despite being a Rogue Reaper, she would become a demon huntress sent to various part of the United States and eventually London.

Although she is very important in the Reaper Realm, she still receives prejudice from her peers. Whether she is called a traitor, monster, or even demon, many people would not work with her, forcing her to be a solo demon huntress rather than the usual group of demon hunters, though, she proved that she didn't need a group since she had strength far superior to other demon hunters. Still, she understood completely what Lilliana goes through every day. Although she herself never tried to become a demon and went through the brutal rehabilitation she heard horror tales of, she knew what Lilliana went through when no one would want to work with her because of what people believed she was. Red eyes were usually a dead give away of people who were in close contact with demons and the only time Katia's would show was in pure hatred, which she has controlled expertly throughout the years. However, she feared that Lilliana would never be able to control her demonic instincts enough to control her eyes.

"You all right, dearie?" Undertaker asked curiously.

Katia looked up to him. "A-Actually, I-," However, they were interrupted by the doorbell and they turned to see who was their newest customer, but were surprised to see a familiar face. "W-W-W-William?!"

"Nice to see you, Ms. Vendoa," William said in a subtle lying tone. Even though she wasn't a nuisance since she was rehabilitated, he still hasn't quite forgiven her for making a deal with a demon. Even Undertaker didn't seem to appreciate his unexpected visit, but kept that unnerving smile.

"Wh-What brings you here?" Katia asked nervously, afraid of what he would say. It took _a lot_ of convincing for her to even work at the shop rather than stay cooped up in a colorless room. "Y-You never visit this place."

"I won't waste much of your time. I was wondering if you two have seen Ms. Kiliamo recently."

"Sh-She isn't with you?" Katia asked in a worried tone.

"Well, she hasn't stopped by for a nightly chat in a while. Besides, I think you should ask the young lord and his butler before coming to us," Undertaker said, now showing a concerned look on his face.

"I would, but I'm afraid they are not at home at the moment. Besides, I would rather ask you then come into contact with a demon," he said as he pushed his glasses back.

"Well you should if you want to find her. She's either with you or with him, so it would be wise to talk to him!" Katia said in an outburst, surprising both William and Undertaker.

"Ms. Vendoa, you must calm down. Must I remind you that you are still in rehabilitation?"

"Well, she does have a reason to be angry. When is the last time _you_ saw her, Willy?" Undertaker said with a giggle.

He sighed before saying, "She left to collect souls a couple of nights ago, but never returned. In fact, she didn't even collect the souls she was assigned to. She didn't exhibit any unusual behavior before she left and none of the other Reapers have seen her since."

"Let me help you find her," Katia begged.

"I'm sorry, but that would be unnecessary. Knowing her, she is deliberately skipping work because of that demon and brat."

"And why would she do that when she knows what the consequences are?! Plus, if Sebastian doesn't know where she is, then something must have happened to her! After all, she doesn't even have her brother to protect her," she said with tears forming in her eyes.

"I understand your concern, Ms. Vendoa, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to-,"

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash outside the shop, shaking them out of their talk. "What the hell is going on over there?" she asked.

"Dammit, Knox," William said as the two of them rushed out to find the source of the noise. Soon, they saw a dark shadow jump from roof to roof above her followed by yet another shadow . . . that had a lawnmower? Wait, A LAWNMOWER?!

"Ugh! Come on, give me a break," the blonde male Reaper said as Sebastian jammed his lawnmower Death Scythe with his knives. "It's totally busted."

"I don't believe we've met before," Sebastian said as he kept his distance from the Reaper that tried to attack him.

"Yeah, hi. The name's Ronald Knox, the next _diehard_ Grim Reaper," he said as he did a pose that was very similar to a certain redhead's. After a moment of silence, Ronald continued, "Yeah, that's just so wrong. Senior Sutcliff said I needed a catchphrase, so I had a girl from the General Affairs departments think one up."

"Don't worry about it. Today, that catchphrase will end along with you," Sebastian said as he prepared his knives for another attack. "I assume your bureau is acting because of strange soul movements? Perhaps the soul of a deceased called Alois Trancy has proven unrecoverable, for instance?"

"Indeed," another voice said from up above. Sebastian barley had enough time to dodge the pruner Death Scythe that was aimed for his head. "I might have known you'd be involved, Sebastian Michaelis," William said before extending his Death Scythe to attack him again. "Good grief. Thanks to Grell Sutcliff, I have to work overtime again!" Sebastian did his best to fend off all of William's attacks before Ronald could get his Death Scythe to work again.

"All right. Now, let's get this over with! You can bet _I'm_ not working overtime," Ronald said in his boyish charm before he tried to strike his lawnmower on Sebastian's head, but missing and nearly striking William by mistake.

"Ronald Knox, do you intend to kill me with your Death Scythe as well?" Will said in his surprisingly still monotone voice.

"Oh, did I cross the line? Sorry, I'm at that mischievous age," Ronald said apologetically.

"A Grim Reaper must judge situations swiftly and accurately. Are those spectacles just for show?"

"Even I'm at a disadvantage against two Reapers," Sebastian said as he tried to escape midair while the two Reapers were bickering below.

"Make that three," Katia said as she tried to slice him in the air, but missed. He threw his knifes at her and she blocked most of them, but one of them wasn't meant to hit her. They both looked as they saw that one of the knives managed to remove William's spectacles clean off his face. Sebastian found this to be a perfect distraction for his escape, but Katia kept following him, leaving them behind.

"Sir, he's getting away," Ronald said as he was about to chase them.

"My spectacles . . . My spectacles," William said in a frantic voice as he kneeled on the ground to find them.

"Um, shouldn't we follow Katia's lead and stop him before he's gone?"

"Failure to understand the importance of a Reaper's spectacles is grounds for a pay cut!" William yelled as he pointed to Ronald . . . or at least tried to, but was pointing at no one thanks to his near blindness.

"Er, I don't even know where to begin."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian was still fighting Katia on the rooftops of London. She tried her hardest to kill the demon, but he was a skilled efighter as well. Although she had no real reason to kill him, compared to Bastille, she still viewed him as her rival. Sebastian could only do so much with forks and knives against a katana Death Scythe. Plus, she was trained in the art of demon killing, so he knew it would be much more difficult for him to kill her. Also, killing a deity, even one on the offensive, had more consequences that he would rather not deal with. "Ms. Vendoa, I don't have time for this. My young master is in need of my protection," he said as he threw yet another wave of forks and knives, but she dodged them all.

"I don't care about that little brat. You know that for damn sure," she said as she tried strike him with her katana, but instead sliced a roof when he moved out of the way. He tried to strike her with another wave of silverware, but she spun her katana so it could be a shield against it.

"You know killing me won't restore your reputation, right?"

"No, but there must be a reason why my colleagues attacked you. What did you do to provoke them this time?"

"You have my word that I did not even speak with them without that young idiot trying to kill me with a lawn mower. Just because I'm a demon, they assumed I was the one tampering with a certain soul they were collecting."

"They attacked first?" she asked as she stopped chasing him, but soon resumed as she said, "They might have attacked first, but your kind isn't welcomed here. I bet you're the one who made Lilliana disappear," she said. At those words, Sebastian froze, long enough for her to get close to him, but not long enough for her to land a hit. As she swung her katana, he blocked it with knives.

"So, she hasn't been in your Realm either?"

"Wait, you don't know where she is?" she said, letting her guard down. It was enough for him to kick her away from him. However, he noticed the worry in her face and decided it would be wiser to talk to her rather than fight her.

"Last time I saw her, she was on her way to her Reaper duties," he said as he calmly walked toward her.

"And according to William, she reported for work, but never completed her assignment," she said as she got up, not letting her guard down again.

"I was convinced she was with your kind, but if she's not with them or with us, then where is she?"

"I-I don't know," Katia said worriedly. However, Sebastian looked in a direction away from her and she looked his way. They noticed that several miles away was an asylum for the criminally insane. Based off of his cold expression, she asked, "Do you think she's in there?"

"I'm not sure, but I know that my young master is. For now, he is the top priority. Besides, I believe Lilliana can handle herself."

"Does it not worry you even a little bit that she hasn't returned from her assignment. My gods, demons are so selfish."

Sebastian chuckled a bit. "Only now have you figured that out?" Katia gritted her teeth at the question, but the two rushed to the asylum. As they reached the area, they noticed something was off. For starters, there were dead bodies lying at the entrance of the building, all of them having forks and knives lodged into them. Even more troubling was the fact that they were all staff members of the asylum. However, they didn't have much time to think about what happened as bullets started firing toward them. Luckily, they dodged in time, but they soon realized that Hannah was the one firing the machine gun.

"I apologize for not sending someone to fetch you, Sebastian, but I didn't realize you would bring a dog to accompany you," she said.

"Why you -," Katia said, almost pouncing at her, but Sebastian stopped her.

"No need. Your invitation was easy enough to understand. This is the exact center of the web you laid with these eye-gouging attacks." Sebastian said, but Hannah soon started firing again. Luckily for them, even as a demon, her aim was nowhere near as good as Mey-Rin's, which may have been because of her bandaged eye, but not so far off that they shouldn't worry. Katia spun her Death Scythe again to shield her from any bullets aimed toward her, but soon, she would have to stop. Sebastian just simply dodged any bullets heading his way, not wanting to get in Katia's way.

They dodged for a while until Hannah finally ran out of bullets, forcing her to rip off the top of her dress to expose her cleavage. However, before she could pull out her gun, Sebastian punched her right in the stomach, forcing her to fall to her knees. As she fell, Sebastian caught her and patted her down, searching for any other weapons, but as he reached inside her dress to get the pistol, Katia yelled, "You really are a pervert, aren't you?" However, once she saw him pull out the gun, she continued, "Oh, I guess there was a reason for . . . that."

"She is a sheath that holds a demon's sword. She is bound to have weapons on her if not IN her. Now, tell me, why would someone so powerful be obeying Claude?" he asked, but noticed soon enough that the demon sword was not inside her. Claude must have it with him.

"Claude . . . ," Hannah tried to say, but Katia grabbed her throat and held her up in the air, making sure it was difficult for her to breathe. Even Sebastian was impressed by her ruthlessness, but she had her reasons for doing so.

"We have a contract. Even if he's taken from me, he is still my young master. None of you can ever so much as taste his soul," Sebastian threatened.

"Navy and . . . midnight blue . . . Two very similar memories . . . True, none of us can so much as taste him, not while he's still entirely your young master," Hannah said with a smirk.

Sebastian was shocked to hear that, but Katia wasn't satisfied. She gripped tighter as she asked, "Since you seemed to be well acquainted with this despicable vermin, then you must surely know where Lilliana is. Now, where the fuck is she?"

Hannah chuckled as she said, "She's one of us now." Katia's eyes turned red and was about to choke her to death, but Sebastian stopped her.

"Now is not the time," he said as calmly as he could, but it was clear he was angry as well. However, he had to admit that it was frightening to see her eyes red. He had never seen them before or even realized she was a Rouge Reaper, but those eyes were definite proof. With a scoff, she threw Hannah to the other side of the roof, making sure she would land hard.

"Once we find your young master, we are going to find Lilliana. No alterations," she said as she descended down to enter the asylum. He wasn't even going to argue and followed her since he knew how angry she was and could possibly kill him with her newfound strength. Once they were inside, Sebastian started running to where he sensed his young master would be, followed by Katia, but someone blocked their way. It wasn't the triplets or Hannah or even Claude; it was a stranger they had not met before. They wore a red billowy shirt with tight black slacks and matching red and black boots. They also wore a black hooded cape with red embroidery along the hem. Finally, they wore a red bandana that hid most of their face, except for the blood red eyes. The stranger pulled out the demon sword that was once inside Hannah and Katia's eyes widened.

"I'm certain we have never met, but would you kindly step out of the way so we may pass?" Sebastian asked in his usual gentlemanly tone, but the figure did not hesitate in trying to attack the duo. They managed to dodge just in time, but only barely. Sebastian threw wave after wave of silverware at the stranger, but they managed to block every fork and knife with the demon sword. The swordsmanship reminded him of how Bastille Kilia would fight against him, but he was dead, or at least, his body was. It would be impossible for him to return. Katia tried striking them with her katana, but the figure was quite skilled in sword fighting that they gave Katia a hard time defending. Still, she managed to not get injured and did not have to fight her alone. In the midst of their fighting, Sebastian would try to land some punches and kicks on the figure, but they dodged effortlessly. If anything, they had a harder time dodging her attacks than the other way around.

"They're pretty good," Katia admitted as the figure once again tried striking at her feet, but she luckily dodged in time. Soon, they clashed swords and were close to each other for Katia to realize the familiarity in her eyes. Those red eyes . . . she has seen them before. Was she a demon she fought before? Not likely since she killed almost every target assigned to her, but one of her targets. Was it Bastille? No, since he was dead, at least, that's what Lilliana told her, but she would never lie about that. Wait . . . those red eyes seemed to be unique, unlike any she had seen on any other demon. No, it couldn't be . . .

"Katia, move out of the way," Sebastian said as he prepared for another silverware attack.

"No, wait, it could be Lil-," she tried to say, but the figure sliced her back with the demon sword, forcing her to fall on her knees in pain. It wasn't too deep to kill, but deep enough to cause some serious damage. They would have finished killing her, but all three of them could hear Ciel's scream from inside the room that the figure was protecting. They all looked at the door, but that gave a perfect opportunity for Sebastian to pin the figure to the wall with forks and knives. He then got close to the figure and removed the hood and bandana, revealing her true identity.

"Lilliana!" Sebastian said with shock. However, she spat at his face, making him move back and he soon wiped her spit off with a handkerchief.

"I will not let you lay a finger on my young master, you monster!" Lilliana yelled with rage in her voice. "All you've ever done is cause him so much pain and heartache! And not just for him, but for me as well, you murderer! Bastille would have been alive today if you didn't kill him!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked in confusion. He couldn't figure out why she was saying such things. What did they do to her to act this way?

"L-Lily . . . it's us . . . ," Katia said weakly as she tried to get up, but she would have fallen to the floor if Sebastian didn't catch her.

"Oh, and don't think that I haven't forgotten about you and your kind. You bastards tried to change me, but I know the truth now."

"What truth? Whatever they have been telling you is all a lie," Sebastian said in a worried tone that was unlike him. However, she pulled herself from the wall, ripping her clothes in the process to try and finish them, but before she could land a hit on them, the door opened, revealing Ciel and Claude.

"You have done a magnificent job protecting our young master, Ms. Bastida," Claude said. "But I believe that's enough for now."

"Bastida?" Sebastian asked under his breath, but soon remembered that she used the alias Lily Bastida when she was working undercover at the Trancy manor.

"But it's better to rid ourselves of the vermin as soon as possible before they become a problem we can't control," she said as she lifted the sword up to strike them, but Claude held her arm back.

"I said that's enough. We don't want to ruin our image in front of the young master," he said, soon smirking at Sebastian and Katia. "I don't know what's a more pathetic sight: a Grim Reaper being held up by a demon or a demon seeking help from a Grim Reaper."

Lilliana sighed before lowering her weapon and walking toward Ciel. "If this backfires, I am going after you next."

"I assure you, everything will be fine. After all, you wouldn't hurt the person who freed you from your Reaper chains and revealed the true demon that you are." She scoffed as she looked bitterly at Sebastian and Katia.

"Young master, it's time to go-," Sebastian said as he tried to touch his young master, but he ran away from him in both anger and fright.

"Don't touch me!"

"Young master?"

"So _you_ were the one who killed my parents, Sebastian Michaelis?!"

They looked at him with shock, but soon, Sebastian looked at Claude, with a smug grin on his face, and put the pieces together. "I didn't predict you mixing their memories. A ploy that would cloud the soul's taste never occurred to me," he said to Claude. "He's completely soaked. Did you dip him in a medicine to confuse him?" He looked at Lilliana, who had the same hatred in her eyes as Ciel did. "And you must have used it on her as well, didn't you?"

"Should I answer that, Master?" Claude said cockily.

Sebastian was appalled to hear him address Ciel like that, but was shocked to hear Ciel say, "No need." Claude soon walked to Ciel before he yelled to Sebastian, "This is an order: get out of my sight!"

Both Sebastian and Katia were in shock to hear him say something so cruel to the demon that carried out his every wish so faithfully. They didn't know what to do at this point.

Sebastian even tried walking toward Ciel to talk sense into him, but was stopped when Lilliana drew her sword at him, blocking him. "To a butler, the master's orders are absolute. I suggest you leave right now."

He had no choice. All he could do was bow to his master and leave the room, even carrying Katia out since she couldn't walk. She couldn't believe he was willing to do this and not fight for his young master, but even more surprisingly, for Lilliana. He even stopped to look back and see if there was anyway to help them, but all he could see was Lilliana closing the door, shooting daggers of hatred out of her eyes. "Sebastian! What are you doing? You're not going to let them get away with this, are you?"

"I'm afraid, we have no other choice. My master's orders are absolute and he wished me out of his sight."

"But your kind always find loopholes in these things. I'm sure you could get him back if you tried."

"Not in your condition, Ms. Vendoa. Your fighting skills proved to be useful at a time like this, so if we want to claim is rightfully mine, you must be able to fight."

She sighed as she said under her breath, "I can't believe I'll be working with a demon again."

He ignored her comment as he said to himself, "I took a shamefully long time to prepare dinner and now look what's happened," Sebastian said as a dark mist surrounded him, terrifying Katia to the point that she wiggled her way out of his arms. Luckily, Reaper regeneration gave her back enough strength to stand and walk on her own, but she didn't know what that mist could do if it touched her.

"S-Sebastian?" she asked in a genuinely worried tone.

"Delaying dinner is absolutely not allowed. However, first, as butler to the Phantomhive, I must clear away the spider webs. That's plain."

"You do realize there is more at stake than just your fucking soul?" Katia said, but not too demanding that it could anger Sebastian. Again, she feared what that mist could do. She knew Ciel was his top priority, but for her, Lilliana was. They had to break her out of the trance somehow.

"I understand, but she's part of the problem. It would be far easier to retrieve the young master then her."

"Still, if we can get her on our side, it would make your stupid retrieval mission easier. I don't know what those bastards have done to her to turn on us, but they're not going to get away with this!"

"For once, I agree with you, Ms. Vendoa, but we must create a plan to ensure we will be successful. We cannot just rush in, ready for a fight, and expect to win, especially with Lilliana by their side."

She sighed. "You're right, but we cannot wait forever. If there is any chance to save her, we have to do it as soon as we can before it's too late."


	11. Zero Chances

"Let go of me! I said let me fucking go!" Lilliana's screams could be heard down the hall, but no one would be able to help her. In fact, anyone who heard her viewed her as another crazy patient that believed she was a God of Death. They confiscated her Death Scythe and wrapped her in a straight jacket, but she soon ripped through it and tried to escape. They had no choice, but to sedate her, but they gave her a dosage that could have killed a human. Still, by her doctor's orders, they had to use a new experimental medication that had not been tested on any other patient. They weren't even sure what it did just yet, but they were hoping it cured her delusions. Despite her immense strength, the nurses managed to strap her into a chair and then submerged her into a tank of the strange green liquid. As they turned the wheel, the chair rose up, allowing her a moment to breathe, or really cough the medicine out of her non-functioning lungs. Grim Reapers didn't really need to breathe like humans did, but before they gave her a chance to finish, they submerged her back into the liquid. This form of torture was all too familiar to her; being strapped down and submerged into a strange liquid subconsciously reminded her of the same cruel punishments she endured when she was rehabilitated.

They repeated this process many times until she eventually calmed down and was no longer fighting the treatment. Fearing she might have drowned, they finally took her out of the chair and carried her into a room, alone with her doctor. However, the doctor wasn't a normal doctor. With enough money, the Earl Trancy convinced them that this special doctor was the only doctor allowed to work with her. However, it was all a lie. There was no doctor; just a demon butler. He made sure to lock the door once he entered and saw Lilliana barely waking up. If he didn't know about her medication, he would have assumed she was dead due to the stillness of her body. She did not move a muscle, not even breathe or blink; all she did was stare at the ceiling.

"So it did work. That's good to know when the young master arrives," Claude said as he walked toward her bed with a devilish smirk. "Even on a Grim Reaper, it has a strong effect. Ms. Kiliamo, are you awake?" No reply. Not even an acknowledgement of his presence. "Hm, I think it worked a little too well. I'll keep a note of that in the future. For now . . . ," he said as he got in bed with her and climbed on top of her. He expected a reaction from her, but she didn't seem to even notice him so close to her. "I should make sure to keep track of you." Still lifeless, he kissed her lips and even added tongue, but when he noticed her green eyes didn't turn red with either lust or anger, he knew it wasn't enough. He then kissed down her jawline to her neck, even biting it to let some blood drip down her neck. This time, he heard her mumble something, but her eyes still didn't turn red, even with the scent of blood filling the air. He was getting impatient, but he had to put the Mark of Lust on her in order for her to truly be his to control. He ripped her soaking wet shirt so that the buttons would fly away from them, revealing the red corset she would only wear for that other demonic butler. His demon eyes flashed with anger as he was reminded this, but he had to admit that she would have been a beautiful sight in other circumstances.

He was about to touch her, but out of nowhere, she seemed to regain all of her strength and pushed him off of her. He was startled by the sudden action, but also noticed the terrified expression on her face as she tried to cover herself. "Don't touch me! I'm not what that priest says I am!" she yelled.

"Ms. Kiliamo? What is the meaning of this?" Claude asked in utter confusion.

"I said stay away! Help me! Please!" she kept yelling, but he covered her mouth and pushed her back on the bed. She tried to push him off of her again, but this time, he was there to stay. He saw as tears filled her eyes and quickly ran down her cheeks. She was absolutely terrified and he knew it. Yes, the medication fucked with her memories, but he didn't realize that it affected _all_ of her memories. Clearly, she had been in this situation before and was as helpless then as she was now.

He sighed as he said, "I cannot mark you against your will or else it won't work. It must be consensual and if you're going to act like this, then there's no point." He soon got off of her, pulled his glove off with his teeth, and said as the mark glowed, "By the power of Lucifer and his many followers, I order that this woman before me to be placed under my watchful gaze from now until eternity!" Soon, she started to scream in agony as she felt a stabbing sensation throughout her chest and soon, blood stained her shirt and the corset. Eventually, she passed out from the pain and he could see the Branding Mark he placed on her chest. "I wanted to mark you in a way that wouldn't make you resent me, but either way, I had no choice."

After some time, she awoke with more energy than she had before. She looked around the room with a clueless expression. She had no memory of where she was or even who she was. All she could remember was an immense pain in her chest. As she looked around, she noticed a strange man holding a change of clothes. "Hello, Miss," he said as he handed them to her. "I've prepared some fresh clothes and I suggest you change into them. The longer you stay in those clothes, the more likely you'll catch a cold."

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked nervously.

"Do you not know who I am?" he asked. She shook her head. "You should. My name is Claude Faustus, butler to the Earl Trancy."

"Butler to the Earl Trancy? . . . That sounds familiar," she said to herself.

"And . . . you are a maid to the Earl," he lied. He found this amnesia to be an opportunity for him.

"M-Me? No, you must be mistaken."

"Indeed it is true, Ms. Lily Bastida." He hoped that she wouldn't correct him. If she did, that would mean she would have some of her memories and this would have been all for nothing.

"W-Well, I guess you wouldn't be lying about that," she said, making him feel relieved. However, she seemed to notice a certain object in the room leaning against the farthest wall. He looked in the same direction and noticed that the idiot nurses must have set her Death Scythe there. "G-Grim Reaper," she said under her breath. "O-Or demon?"

"Don't let your memories fail you. Deep down, you are a demon. You know it to be true," he said, playing along. He hoped to shape her memories and only let her remember the memories he wanted her to remember.

"B-But, I remember . . . souls. Reapers would look down on me."

"Because you were not one of them and they couldn't accept that."

She looked at him and then back to her Death Scythe. Soon, her eyes turned red with rage as she said, "Now I remember. Those bastards tortured me to be just like them! Those fiends, calling us demons noxious beasts! They're the ones who kidnapped a demon to be one of them! Took me away from my . . . ." She could feel tears filling her eyes, but she fought them back as she continued, "My brother . . . An angel took him away from me."

"That's what _he_ wants you to think," Claude said with a smirk. This was working better than he expected.

"He?" she asked, fury still burning in her eyes.

"That angel was only a pawn in that demon's game. He even used your emotions to hide his evil intentions from you. Ms. Bastida, the true murderer of your brother was Sebastian Michaelis."

* * *

Claude entered Ciel's new room to wake his young mater as Lilliana rolled in a cart with tea to serve to him. She was clearly not happy to be serving the brat, but she had no choice. In all honesty, she did not want to be here at all and would rather go out to kill Sebastian, but she was bound by the Branding Mark to stay in his presence. Even worse: she had to act as a maid to a brat she didn't really care for. Well, maybe that was being harsh. She did have a little soft spot for him, just like Alois, but she simultaneously despised him for his cruelty to her in the past. "Young master, good morning," Claude said as he pulled back the curtains to let sunlight into the room.

Ciel slowly opened his eyes and noticed a familiar scent in the air. "I know that smell. It's Earl Grey, isn't it?"

"Indeed. My compliments to your excellent nose, young master,"Claude said as he began served him a cup for him to drink. "This morning we have an Earl Grey Impérial. It's most excellent, made from the finest leaves available. A true masterpiece." Once Ciel was done drinking, he handed the cup back to Claude and he set it on the cart. He then helped him out of bed as he continued, "I believe it will be perfect for you."

"Kiss-ass," Lilliana commented under her breath.

"Ms. Bastida, I would highly advise you to refrain from using that kind of language around the young lord," Claude said as he began to delicately undress Ciel.

"Oh, I'm sorry my language offended him," she said sarcastically.

He sighed before continuing, "Your schedule this afternoon is like a fresh field of virgin snow, blank as an unlined page. Today, everything shall be as you wish it." He instructed Lilliana to help dress their young master, despite her clear reluctance, but he knew he had to be careful around her. If she were a regular Grim Reaper, he wouldn't be as careful since she wouldn't want to steal Ciel's soul, but she was far from ordinary. In her past, she and her brother devoured countless souls and now that she believes she is a demon, she might fight back all those years of self-control and take the soul for herself. Of course, he wouldn't let that happen, but even he had to hold back a lot so he could season the soul just right.

"What of Alois? Where is he?" Ciel asked.

"Whatever do you mean? It was your noble sword that struck the blow that felled Alois Trancy," Claude said in an over-the-top gesture that made her shake her head.

"Is that so?"

"Does thinking on it pain you, master?"

"He died because he was weak, simple as that," Ciel said in his usual heartless tone, which made Lilliana smile, but excited Claude.

"Oh, such unwavering confidence," he said under his breath, inaudible for Ciel, but Lilliana heard clearly and it made her shudder in disgust. When she finished dressing him except for his feet, Claude kneeled before his master and gestured Ciel to sit on the bed as he reached for his shoes and socks. Soon, he began to dress him, but kept his sickening grin that sent a shiver of disgust down her spine. Something about a grown man looking at a child with predatory eyes seemed all too familiar to her and she hated it.

However, they heard a large crashing noise outside and it startled Ciel. "What was that?"

"That? Probably just a cat," Claude said to calm his master.

"A cat? Are you serious?" Lilliana asked in an annoyed tone. "Even an idiot would know that the crash would be too loud for a cat to make."

"Strengthen the manor's defenses," Ciel ordered, fearing Sebastian was still around, waiting for the perfect opportunity to steal his soul.

"Indeed, my young lord," Claude said before he kissed Ciel's foot, causing him to kick him in the face in disgust.

"What a revolting display!" He looked at Lilliana and saw even she was getting her demon sword ready to strike him, but she calmed down and put it away. As Claude climbed up from the ground, he still kept that wicked smile that disturbed both of them. However, they kept hearing more and more crashes outside, making Ciel even more suspicious of what was going on outside. "Honestly!"

"Lilliana and I will investigate it, but first, Hannah," Claude said as he clapped for her.

Soon enough, Hannah walked into the room and answered, "Yes?"

"Guard our lord while we investigate our little problem outside," he said as he and Lilliana left their side. Before leaving, however, Hannah made eye contact with Lilliana and for her, it seemed like Hannah knew every single thing about her: the pain, the hatred, the regret. Hannah only looked away before the two were out of her sight.

* * *

"Sebastian, have you gone mad? If you make this much ruckus, you know they'll hear you!" Katia said as she watched Sebastian break a tree in half with only his hand.

"Consider it an invitation for battle," he said as he finished and waited for a certain someone to investigate.

"They are easier ways of doing that than this! Who knows what kind of attention, you'll attract." However, right as she said that, Sebastian saw a demon sword falling from the sky, aimed right for her. Without warning, he quickly pulled her out of the way, but not gently, so it caused her some pain for her.

"My apologies, Ms. Vendoa," he said as they both watched the demon sword land exactly where she was standing.

"Oh dear, it seems my aim is still a bit off," Lilliana said with her Death Scythe in hand before pulling the demon sword from the ground. "I'll have to work on that."

"Lilliana, you need to snap out of this. Whatever they told you, it's not true," Katia said as she leaned against a tree for support. Luckily for her, her wound didn't reopen, but it was still a rough movement for her body to handle at this time.

"I believe it was _you two_ who have been lying to me all this time," she said as she extended the demon sword towards them. "But don't worry, I'll make sure to pay you back for everything."

However, Claude placed an arm on hers and lowered it. "There is no need for this, Ms. Bastida. Our young master ordered him to stay out of his sight, so he must obey. There is nothing he can do now. Only when he acts of his own free will, then you are more than welcomed to kill him." She smiled at the thought before putting the demon sword away. "Now, we should get back to _my_ young master before he misses his breakfast," Claude said as he guided her back to the manor. The sight made them both angry, but Sebastian's shadow started to grow more and more, frightening Katia whenever she saw it.

In the distance, Katia could have sworn she heard the sound of a camera click. Then she heard it again. And again. She looked at Sebastian, who was probably too angry to notice a soft sound, and then looked around to see where it was coming. Sure enough, she saw a familiar red figure not-so-subtly taking picture of them from behind. Or really, he was taking pictures of his dear Bassy and Katia got in the way of it. Even when the two made eye-contact, he gestured her to move out of the way and she did, but that caught Sebastian's attention.

After a bit of time, Grell's camera made a noise that signaled it could be jammed and he started to freak out. "What? No! Not now," he said as he frantically tried to fix the camera. "Don't break on me." However, he noticed the shadow of the statue he was hiding behind rise and he turned around to see what happened. Sure enough, he saw Sebastian holding the statue above his head effortlessly, making Grell's heart race for countless reasons. "M-M-M-My! When did you get here?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same," Sebastian said, clearly not in the mood for this redheaded nuisance.

Grell gulped as he said, "Well, perhaps just one more." However, before he could take the photo, Sebastian laid the statue right on Grell, making him yell in pain as he begged Katia for help. She would have ran to him immediately, but Sebastian stopped her.

"Don't forget, you are still recovering from your injuries. Any strenuous activity could be very harmful to your health," he said, but it was clear he had other reasons.

"I can't let her be crushed to death!" Katia said as she pushed herself away from him and went to help Grell. However, Sebastian was bewildered by one thing: did she just address that cretin as _she_?

With all her remaining strength, she managed to push the statue off of him, freeing him. "Thank you, Katia," Grell said in a raspy voice as he recovered his breath.

"He wouldn't have died regardless if you helped or not. In fact, he could have pushed it off himself if he actually tried," Sebastian said with a penetrating glare.

"I'll have you know that I'm a lady! And I hoped that my black knight would save the damsel, not try to kill her!" Sebastian only scoffed before noticing that Katia's clothes were slowly turning red. Even Grell noticed this and Katia began to lose the balance in her legs. Luckily, Grell was there to support her, but he kept his distance so his clothes wouldn't get stained.

"I warned you about this," Sebastian said in an annoyed tone. "We have to restitch the wound before it gets worse."

"It's just a small cut. I'll be fine," Katia said as she tried to push herself off of Grell, but she didn't have the strength to do so.

"I highly doubt that. You're lucky that Lilliana didn't kill you."

"Wait, Lilliana did this?! That good for nothing demon-wannabe! How dare she hurt a dear friend of mine!" Grell said angrily. "When I find her, I'm going to-," he said, but Katia soon fainted in his arms, causing him to worry even more.

"Like I said, we need to restitch her wound before it gets worse.

* * *

Some miles away from the manor, Sebastian had prepared some tea for Grell, Katia, and himself to refresh and gather intel before they proceeded with their next move. Katia had been sleeping on a blanket nearby while Sebastian stitched the wound. Of course, that meant he had to get close and personal with Katia's skin, even if it was her back, and Grell became jealous very quickly, but he didn't react as flamboyantly as he usually did since he was still recovering as well and didn't want another statue on his "fragile"body. Still, despite Katia being a Reaper, a demon hunter, no less, he still couldn't just let her die. Though, the main reason he wanted to keep her alive was that she was a very skilled fighter who can help him get Lilliana and Ciel back from someone who is equally matched as Sebastian. Still, he found her love for Lilliana to be useful only for this mission. Although he felt he had no competition with her since Lilliana told him explicitly that their relationship was nothing more than flirting, he still had to be careful, knowing her background. If she really wanted to, she could try to kill him and claim Lilliana as hers. That passion is the only thing driving her compliance with him.

"Bassy, I must admit that it is rather odd seeing you prepare tea just for me . . . I'm mean, I'm happy of course, but well, I um-," Grell said in a flustered voice, but stopped when Sebastian handed him a cup of tea.

Sebastian smiled as he said, "A cup of Suutei Tsai, a Mongolian milk tea flavored with rock salt."

"R-Rock salt?!" Grell exclaimed.

"I've no doubt it will be wonderfully stimulating to feel the salt in your wounds. Just for you, I've doubled the amount it calls for, then doubled it again, and thought why not double it yet again."

"On second thought, I . . . ," Grell tried to say, but was met with Sebastian's unnerving smile that both warmed his heart and sent shivers down his spine.

"Drink up," he said calmly.

Grell was very reluctant, but he took the cup from him and took a sip. As the drink touched his lips, he felt an excruciating amount of pain and let out a shriek before falling backwards in his chair. "The sharp pain of love! I can't stand it!"

"Could you two keep it down?" Katia said as she got up from her slumber and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Ms. Vendoa. Would you like some tea?" Sebastian asked with his smile finally vanishing.

"Don't do it, Katia, it's a trap," Grell said from the floor with pain in his voice.

"I assure you that I will make another blend for her so her injuries can recover," he said as he poured a different tea in a cup, without adding rock salt. "I'm sure you will find it to your liking."

"Thanks," she said with a suspicious undertone as she accepted the cup and sipped from it, but to her surprise, the tea was actually quite delicious.

"Now, we all have some business discuss, don't we?" Sebastian said as he set in his seat, making sure to keep some distance from Grell, but he scoot his chair toward him anyway. Katia slowly got up and sat in the only available chair. She quietly sipped her tea, hoping she did not have to be involved in this conversation. "First, would you be kind enough to explain why you are here, Grell?"

"Oh, well, Will put me on an assignment to collect the soul of Jim Macken, but as we all know, there is a complication in his soul in the form of a demon," he explained before sipping his tea, bearing the immense pain.

"And why would Reapers be interested in damned souls?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, we Reapers believe that every soul can be saved from a contract, so when the time comes, we'll send out a Reaper to try and fight the demon. It is rarely successful, but we do it anyway."

"That's odd. I've never encountered a Reaper like that before and I've made contracts with many humans."

"Well, some sects are more hopeful than others. Some just don't even try to stop demons like you," Grell said before sipping the tea again and tried to stifle a groan of pain. Katia rolled her eyes as she sipped her harmless tea. "The London sect is one of the few that sends Reapers to every case, including yours~"

"I have yet to meet such a Reaper-,"

"Oh yes you have~" Grell said with a smirk.

Sebastian was confused, but looked at Katia, who was looking away and sipping her tea. "What does he mean?"

Katia sighed before saying, "Why do you think that they would allow her near you constantly?"

"Her? . . . You mean Lilliana?" Sebastian asked.

Katia nodded. "If they didn't believe she was trying to save the brat's soul, she would have been rehabilitated again. She is using her demon upbringing to her advantage for once."

Sebastian chuckled as he said, "They may have conditioned her to plot like that in the beginning, but she is now one of us and wouldn't even consider stealing the soul I have cultivated. This setback is proof enough of that."

"How do you know she's not acting?" Katia asked with a smirk, making Sebastian angry. She continued, "Just because she is resisting to collect the soul now doesn't mean anything. Yes, his soul is constantly wavering right now, but she isn't exactly acting on her own."

"So is that why she was acting strangely earlier?" Grell asked. "She may be a heartless bitch at times, but I never thought she would try to kill the few friends she has."

Katia looked down at her tea. "They did something to her to make her think she's a demon and that Sebastian killed Bastille. Though, she doesn't seem to be a loyal servant to Claude since he's the one holding her back from killing Sebastian and I."

"Oh, did they use some memory-altering medicine?" Grell asked. The two of them were surprised by his cleverness, but they nodded. "I hate to admit it, but Lilliana has been through that before." Both of them looked shocked, especially Katia.

"That's horrible. Why would they do such a thing?" she asked.

"Well, how else would you control a feral Reaper? They didn't try altering her memories, but they did try to change her impression of those memories. However, the effects of the medicine wore off when she was exposed to a stimulus that reminded her of the past. Will and I experienced this first-hand when she was exposed to blood."

"But she's been around blood and she's still in his control."

"Unless there was a certain mark keeping her from experiencing such a stimulus," Sebastian said as he removed his glove with his teeth to show the Mark of the Covenant. "It is highly unlikely she would make a deal with Claude or consent to him in any way, so he must have used a Branding Incantation to keep her controlled. If she deviated from the path or was in danger of returning to her old self, all he would need to do is active it and she would be incapacitated."

"But why would you go through all this just for a little boy's soul? It just seems like too much trouble." Katia said, finally finishing her tea.

"Well, demons are known to be greedy when it comes to souls. We spend as much time allotted to us to cultivate our souls to perfection, but if we taste one much tastier than the soul contracted to us, hunger can take over."

"But he mustn't have devoured the soul he cultivated if he's still hungry for Ciel's."

"Well, I'm surprised since he did kill his own brat," Grell explained.

Sebastian looked at him in shock, but put the pieces together. "I see. So he stole the soul of his young master prematurely only to fuse the two souls together. Two separate souls can never be completely fused, but pesky memories can be overwritten, meaning that Alois Trancy is the same as my young master."

"I say I can't understand. Why bother fixating on some little brat's soul? You would make a far simpler, quicker meal, Bassy," Grell said, finally finishing his tea and just barely getting used to the pain.

"You sound like someone else I know. Just look at his face; the slack, factious features Claude wears perpetually. There lies your answer," Sebastian said in an angry tone as a dark mist began to appear yet again, scaring the Reapers.

"B-B-Bassy-," Grell said out of fear, but couldn't let the words escape his frightened throat.

"Come, Grell, Katia. Let's go."

"Oh, um, t-terribly sorry, but I have an appointment with my hairdresser-," Grell said as he tried to wiggle his way out of this, but the Sebastian leaped into the air that would have been a perfect pose for a picture. "How lovely! Oh, come here, camera." He tried to snap a quick snapshot before he landed, but he was too late, much to his dismay.

"So you know, I plan to strike approximately eight additional attractive poses today."

"Oh, I can't pass this up! Eight more _lovely_ poses! Wait for me!" Grell said as he quickly ran toward his love, making sure to keep his camera ready at hand for the next opportunity. Katia sighed, both disappointed and amused at how easily he could be coerced into working with them, but she was also glad they had another fighter to help them out. Maybe that's why Sebastian sucked up his pride to have him join the group.

* * *

Soon, the arrived to the abandoned village that was once a thriving little town that sheltered a young Jim Macken. Despite all the years that past, the signs on a devastating fire that destroyed the town were quite clear with destroyed buildings and singed possessions of the dead. Life had escaped this place the moment Alois left it. "Here we are," Sebastian said as he stopped to let the Reapers catch up.

Soon, Grell rushed to his side, hoping he would capture a picture before they proceeded with their plan. "Oh my, what is this horrible place? Oh, but this could work. Imagine dear Bassy nude amid the rubble. Oh my!" he said with lust in his voice. After a while Katia joined them, who was sure to not run with all her might so her wounds could properly heal. As much as she hated it, she did have to take it easy if she wanted to fight off Lilliana and Claude in the future.

"Oi, care for a taste?" a strange woman with a cockney accent said while sitting on the porch of a destroyed building. She wore the clothing of a prostitute, but her appearance was far from ideal, with the dirt and wrinkles on he face and lack of makeup. She posed in an enticing way, but she soon laughed. "Ha, what a joke. I could never manage it. It's been far too long. Got cobwebs down there, I do." She soon got up and approached the group. "Welcome, sirs and lady, to the cursed village of Arachnophile."

"I thought the place had been burned completely away. How is it that you're still here?" Sebastian asked in his usual gentlemanly manner.

"Ah, I'm the only one who was saved from the fire. Saved by a demon," she said, not really giving any thought that these strangers might think she was crazy for saying such a thing. "There was this little boy with auburn hair . . . he was poor, but he was a tough one. He said he made a contract with a demon to make sure his beloved brother's wish came true. Of course, we all know the price of such a contract: his own young soul. At first, I thought it was nothing more than some dark fairy story, but then . . . the fire came. Everything the big had said was true. I was the only one who survived that day. I've managed on my own somehow, but I guess that's all over now. Nice meeting yo-," she tried to say, but before she could say anymore, a bullet had shot her straight in the head and she fell to the floor, dead.

The deities looked in shock, but as they searched for the source of the bullet, they found the triplets nearby, all of them holding rifles at hand. "The game is afoot," Sebastian said as he immediately ran to the triplets, ready to fight them, if not kill them.

"Oh no, I've let the second pose go to waste. Clumsy me! I swear I won't miss the next one, though," Grell said as he was about to hurriedly run to his darling, but when he saw Katia following him, he stopped. "M-Maybe you should stay back and collect the old broad's soul. You know how Will gets when we abandon souls killed by demons."

"Please tell me that this is not because you don't want me to ruin your chances of catching a picture with that beast," she said with annoyance in her eyes.

"Not at all! You're still recovering and we know that once you get into a fight, you're going to reopen those wounds again. Better to be safe than sorry."

She sighed as she said, "Fine." As she ran back to the woman to claim her soul, Grell then ran at top speed to catch up with Sebastian. Under her breath, she said, "I can still fucking fight, assholes."

It didn't take long for her to collect the soul and catch up with him though, but she thought to keep her distance so she wouldn't get lectured about putting herself in danger and to actually eat the wounds heal. It shouldn't take long for her to get back to a safe state to fight, but if she kept reopening the wounds, it would take much longer for her to heal. She couldn't die from something as simple as this, but she had to obtain as much strength as possible to free Lilliana. Soon, both Reapers caught up to Sebastian, who was in the middle of fighting the triplets by himself. She looked at Grell, who she thought was going to help with the fight, but he just took pictures of Sebastian instead. "Things are heating up quite nicely. Such long, graceful limbs. Oh, do look out, darling!" he kept saying to both himself and Sebastian. Katia only rolled her eyes as she could only watch from the distance. However, Sebastian soon finished the fight by tying the triplets with thick thread, a lesson he learned from Claude, and hung them upside down from a tree.

"Your Death Scythe. Now, Grell," Sebastian ordered as he looked at the Reapers.

"What? Certainly you can finish them off more quickly by yourself," he said in confusion.

"Please just do it. I would ask Ms. Vendoa, but I believe I have made my point quite clear on her fighting."

"Hm, you're incorrigible, Bassy. Why are you always doing this to me?" he said as he looked away coyly.

Sebastian sighed before using the tactic he knew would always worked with perverted creatures. "My, what a warm evening," he said as he played with his hair, moaning a bit before looking seductively toward the Reapers, but mostly to the one it was "meant for". Grell couldn't control his excitement as his nose bled and he revved his chainsaw. Soon, he sliced through the triplets, causing their Cinematic Record to be released from them for the trio to see.

The three looked closely and noticed the memories laid hidden in lies. First, the fire, which was claimed to have been started by Sebastian, was actually started by the poor submissive maid, Hannah, or at least, that is the part she plays now, with the help of the triplets. "Oh, well, well, so that's what happens. There's just no accounting for demons," Grell said as he placed his hands behind his head in a comfortable pose.

"More or less what I thought," Sebastian said as he kept observing the Record. The only parts Katia cared about was how Lilliana was doing, but they were not involved in the process of her memory alteration nor much after that. It's almost as if they never really saw her. "However . . . ," As he looked longer and longer, he noticed just how close Hannah was to Ciel, obviously since she was the maid of the house, but there seemed to be a calculating mind behind that tragic look on her face. As if this was all part of her plan that was yet to be executed. Not only that, but apparently they noticed Hannah talking to a certain someone in blue late one night. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, which made sense since the triplets didn't listen very closely to make it part of the Record, but Sebastian's blood boiled at the sight of the blue demoness that haunted his kind.

"U-Um, Sebastian," Katia said as he noticed his shadow growing even more than it did before. "You're demoning again."

"I've seen enough of this," Sebastian said with subtle anger in his tone. "I have a pressing appointment with a spider." Soon, he released the triplets from their bondage, but not before pulling tightly first, cutting their bodies into pieces and falling to the ground in a pile. Grell and Katia looked a bit disgusted by the sight, but stepped around it to catch up with Sebastian.

"Wait, Bassy, come back. I still have at least two more photographs to take." However, Sebastian ran at top speed to the Trancy Manor, leaving the two of them behind. "He's quick, isn't he?"

"We don't much time to waste. C'mon," Katia said as she ran as fast as her body could take with him following right behind her. "His main focus is on that brat, but I'll make sure we get Lilliana back to the way she was. Make no mistake of that."

* * *

Sebastian managed to make it to the manor, but obviously keeping some distance since he didn't want to be spotted by any of the demons and especially Lilliana. He ad to find a way to bring her back without compromising his meal, but this would be very difficult when both of them were not on his side. He thought about what the two Reapers said about the memory altering medication Claude used on them: the effects of the medicine wore off when she was exposed to a stimulus that reminded her of the past. Now, there was no way he could get close to her to remind her of her past without her trying to kill him over false memories. Even the sight and smell of blood wasn't enough for her since she is running on repressed demonic instincts which triggered her before.

However, he thought of one thing: the Mark of Lust he placed on her the first time they had sex. He was certain that the Mark could not disappear, even if she was marked by another demon. In fact, this wouldn't be the first time. Luckily for him, he could activate it from a distance, but he wouldn't be able to tell if it worked or not unless he saw her. Still, he had no choice, but to try and since he was waiting for the other Reapers, now seemed to be the best time. He sat by a tree and took a deep breath and closed his eyes before the Mark on his hand glowed.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar dark void. He looked around, but all he could see was darkness, a sight only soothing for demons like him. However, he heard a soft voice saying, "You're playing a dangerous game, Sebastian."

The voice was familiar to him, but the tone seemed to be more innocent compared to what he was used to. "Lilliana, where are you? I'm here to save you. Together, we can help the young lord return to his senses," he yelled at the nothing.

"Ha! You really think that brat belongs in your custody? He's probably much safer in Claude's care than he would with you," the same voice said, but in a more angry tone. It was as if he was talking to two different people.

"Lilliana, you know this isn't the real you. Your memories have been changed to fit their plan, don't you understand that?"

"And somehow that is no different than what I'm used to. It's funny how easily memories can be changed to fit our needs. I would know since Reapers have no memories of when we were human, so losing our attachment to humanity would make our jobs easier," the soft voice returned.

"But I don't want to alter your memories. I am only showing you the truth."

"That's what they all say," the angry voice exclaimed. "But it's never true to the point that all I believe are lies. I don't want to help the man who marked me, but it's the only way I get to kill you." Soon, a small bit of light shown down at Sebastian and soon, three figures appeared in front of him. One of them was blonde with blue eyes, the other two had dark hair, but one had red eyes and the other had green. All of them were versions of Lilliana: human, demon, and Reaper. He tried to run to the one with green eyes, but the red-eyed one stopped him with a demon sword. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, demon."

"I'm sorry," he said as he took the sword from her and thrusted it into her body. She backed away from him and started coughing blood, but soon, her body seemed to disintegrate and seemed to be blown away by wind. The blonde girl looked terrified at what she witnessed, but he noticed the blood spreading on her chest, as if she were stabbed in the same area as the red-eyed Lilliana and disintegrated as well. He was worried as he looked at the real one, but was relieved to see that she was fine. "You know I had to."

"You couldn't have done any damage anyway. They don't exist," she said as she walked up to him. "But there is no point in helping me. You need to save the young master. I can't do anything or else I'll be punished," she said, showing him the Branding Mark on her chest.

"I'll find a way. All I need is to remind you of the past," he said before he pulled her close to him. "And frankly, this is the only way of doing it." He soon kissed her and she embraced him tightly. It had been a while since they had done this. Soon, they found their hands gliding all over each other's bodies until his were cupping her buttocks and she found her were teasing his manhood through his pants. He felt himself breathing a bit harder as he became hard at the touch and she soon started to rub against his bulge. Without hesitation, he cupped her breasts and squeezed them, making her moan slightly. He soon kisses down her jawline and then her neck, where he tickled her most sensitive spots and getting some delicious sounds out of her. "You missed this feeling, didn't you? Oh, it's been a long time since I was able to touch you like this. I just wish it was during better circumstances."

"Don't kill the mood," she moaned out. He chuckled before he bit into her neck, letting blood trickle down. However, as he pulled back to look at her, her eyes were still that normal green color and not red with lust, but knowing how the red-eyed counterpart reacted when she saw him, he didn't mind it for now.

However, without warning, she started screaming in agony and soon, he saw the Mark on her chest glow and blood started staining her clothes. He tried to help her, but before he could, he noticed the light fade around them. He tried to hold onto Lilliana, but the darkness consumed them both.

Soon, Sebastian opened his eyes again and noticed that he was back in front of the Trancy Manor. He tried getting up, but he could feel both the pain in his chest, as if he was hurt by the Mark on Lilliana's chest, and the ache in between his legs. However, before he could regain his composure, the two demons finally managed to find him. "You had us running for a long time, you know. Now all I'm all gross and sweaty," Grell said as he caught his breath.

However, Katia noticed something off about Sebastian, but while Grell was still catching his breath, she walked up to Sebastian and whispered in his ear. "Um, you might want to fix that before Grell sees. You know how she'll react if she saw that." However, at the mere thought of Grell looking at him with a debauched grin and wanting sexual desires fulfilled, he soon became flaccid. Katia sighed as she said, "I'm not going to ask what happened, but I'm gonna assume it was for Lily?"

He nodded. "However, as I said, that bastard has a Mark on her to prevent her from breaking free. It will be very difficult for us to break her out of the trance. She has to find a way herself."


End file.
